Recovery underway
Jamaica’s economic recovery accelerated in the second quarter of this year (April to June), with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) estimating that output expanded by 12.9 per cent. Dr Wayne Henry, director general of the PIOJ, said the growth stemmed from significant increases in economic activities as well as the roll-out of the global […]
Caribbean Blockchain Alliance counters claims of eCurrency CEO
Caribbean Blockchain Alliance has come out swinging against a claim from eCurrency CEO Jonathan Dharmapalan that blockchain technology is a “vulnerable security mechanism”. The claim was made in an article published recently by the Jamaica Observer which said Jamaica’s digital currency is ‘more secure than Bitcoin’. In the article, Dharmapalan shared that Jamaica’s central bank […]
Small businesses grapple with lockdown disparity, no incentives
With the Government’s seven-day lockdown to curb the latest spike in coronavirus cases now in force, small business associations say the measure has been unsettling for the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) sector which has felt the sharp end of it. President of the Small Business Association (SBA) Michael Leckie told the Jamaica Observer […]
IMF boost
Jamaica’s gross reserves swelled to US$4.8 billion earlier this week, as the US$520 million that was promised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been disbursed. The funds Jamaica received are part of the US$650 billion which IMF member nations approved on August 2 as part of efforts to give the global economy “a shot […]
BOJ says NCB to receive digital currency next month, FX position strong
A lthough Bank of Jamaica, BOJ, minted $230 million of its new digital currency earlier this month as part of a pilot that runs to year end, the sole approved wallet provider so far, National Commercial Bank Jamaica, NCB, is not expected to receive its allocation of the central bank digital currency before next month, […]
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20210827/us-slightly-upgrades-gdp-estimate-66
US slightly upgrades GDP estimate to 6.6%
The United States economy grew at a robust 6.6 per cent annual rate last quarter, slightly faster than previously estimated, the government said on Thursday in a report that pointed to a sustained consumer-led rebound from the pandemic recession. But worries are growing that the delta variant of the coronavirus is beginning to cause a […]
Sorrel highly profitable, says Agro-Invest
As Jamaicans on the island and in the diaspora anticipate the end of the year, the demand for sorrel is expected to climb. As much as they enjoy the sorrel, ginger and rum combination which is a popular drink during the festive season, the sorrel plant has a wide range of other uses. Sorrel has […]
Diversification key to transformation of local economy — industry leaders
Industry leaders across various sectors have reiterated the need for the creation of policies that encourage the implementation and use of advanced technologies to enable economic diversification which they believe is critical to the transformation of the local economy. Speaking at the recently concluded Economic Growth Forum series held by the Planning Institute of Jamaica […]
Jamaica’s digital currency ‘more secure than Bitcoin’
Founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of eCurrency, Jonathan Dharmapalan, has given the assurance that Jamaica’s digital currency will not be a security headache. In an exclusive interview on Taking Stock with Kalilah Reynolds, Dharmapalan noted that the technology being used to run the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will ensure the digital funds cannot […]