Director of Non-Communicable Disease and Injuries Prevention in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Tamu Davidson-Sadler The economic impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Jamaica, including mental-health conditions, will lead to a lost output of US$17.2 billion over the next 15 years. This is according to a 2011 study by founder and executive chairman of the [...]

Implementation Minister Emmalin Pierre (Photo: CMC) ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) — The Grenada government says it will introduce a National Health Insurance by the end of June. Implementation Minister Emmalin Pierre, addressing the convention of the ruling New National Party (NNP) on Sunday night, said that the programme will be rolled out within the [...]

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and MP for St James North Western, Dr Horace Chang (left) shares in a light moment with Mayor of Montego Bay, Homer Davis at a recent Business Process Outsourcing meeting in Montego Bay. ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — The Business Process Outsourcing Sector (BPO) is fast [...]

The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) says it still views the imposition of general consumption tax (GCT) on group health insurance as a retrograde step despite Finance Minister Audley Shaw indicating that entities which pay the tax will be allowed to treat it as a deductible on their income tax returns. President of the [...]

Shaw: if employees were to pay the GCT on group health insurance, the additional cost would be minimal. The Finance Minister says companies that pay the new General Consumption Tax on group health insurance on behalf of their workers will be able to deduct it from their income tax filings. The parliamentary opposition and [...]

A training workshop by Sandals to reach motorcycle riders and passengers has been held in Negril — one of the most motorcycle-populated areas in the island. Whatever else might be occurring in other parishes, you have to work hard to equal Westmoreland in bike numbers. Major and minor roads reverberate with the buzzing sound [...]

Report of the Economic Growth Council The tourism sector has long been a key pillar of the Jamaican economy. This sector, which generated over $32 billion towards the gross domestic product for the first three quarters of 2016, continues to expand and achieve major success. Tourism has always been one of the key sectors of [...]

Helene Davis Whyte, President, Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions - file photo Helene Davis Whyte A proposal by the Jamaican Government to phase-in the five per cent pension contribution by public sector workers, effective April 1, has been welcomed by the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU). Finance Minister Audley Shaw announced the new [...]

Following a meeting at the Ministry of  Finance yesterday the insurance industry is expressing optimism that changes will be made to the plan to impose General Consumption Tax (GCT) on group health insurance. The talks involved insurance executives and technocrats in the Ministry. The meeting was convened for the executives to voice their objections to [...]

SHAW… the current public sector pension arrangement is unsustainable as only a small portion of public sector workers make contributions DEBATE started yesterday in the House of Representatives on changes to the Pensions (Public Service) Act (2016) to have all public sector employees contribute to their pension payments, which is now paid for by [...]