In Focus
The following were key highlights noted by EPOC: • End-March 2024 Tax revenues significantly underperformed budget • Inflation of 5.6 per cent for March 2024 signals a return of the rate to the bank’s target range • Net International Reserves (NIR...
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Belize, Jamaica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines are being recognised for the remarkable achievement of having eliminated mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, which is one of the greatest global public health achievements of...
The recent surge in deadly violence, shocking incivility, and shameless entitlement within Jamaican schools, from West to East, is a stark reminder of the need for a fundamental shift in our educational approach. While law enforcement plays a...
Discussions on the contribution of tourism sector earnings vis-à-vis diaspora remittances to Jamaica’s economy continue to be topical, at least for members of the Jamaican diaspora who demand fulsome, meaningful engagement with the Jamaican...
A reader reminds me that it has been over a year since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) imposed the massive salary increase for members of parliament (MP’s), cabinet members and other officials. I distinctly remember the PM stating that with such a...
Silly Season has started early this time around which contradicts the argument that fixed election dates would result in longer campaigns. Reactions to the latest Panderson Polls have ranged from the smugly satisfied to the dangerously delusional....
The forecast of the La Niña phenomenon for the second half of 2024 revives the urgency of strengthening the resilience of agri-food systems against extreme weather events in Latin America and the Caribbean. After a year marked by El Niño, which...
Over the last two years, the Caribbean has witnessed an unprecedented response to the region’s demand for reparatory justice for the crimes against humanity committed against African people, in particular those trafficked and subjected to chattel...
Haiti, a land steeped in history and vibrant culture, stands at a crossroads. While currently, catastrophic challenges persist, beneath the surface lies a wellspring of potential waiting to be unleashed. This presents a compelling opportunity not...
At the time years ago when the complaint arrived in my inbox, the politician was an elected representative, a member of the Cabinet, and a lawyer. According to the complainant, in her private capacity, the politician had done legal work for the...
Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) is making another appeal for the Government to reconsider its legislative policy on excessive mandatory minimum sentences, especially for children. While we acknowledge the severity of murder and other grave offences,...
There were no drum rolls or blaring bells to mark Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s pronouncement late in the day on Tuesday, April 23, that his country must apologise and assume its outstanding responsibility for colonial crimes...
Government has tied itself into unyielding legal and political knots to keep one public servant, former DPP Paula Llewellyn, in office for two more years. Let’s break that down starting with a brief history of DPPs. • William Swaby (1962-1965);...
Climate change dominates news headlines globally – we see endless weather-related catastrophes, geo-political upheavals, and increasing environmental injustices. The Caribbean is not immune to the deadly impacts of climate change and is facing...
CAPRI’s reports Zero Murders: Searching for Lessons from Two Decades of Anti-Violence Interventions in August Town, and Testing, Testing: Challenges to Measuring Social Programmes for At-Risk Youth, introduced a critical perspective to the citizen...
Some behaviours are now amplified by social media thus causing a great deal of misinformation and drivel to spread unchecked. An example is the stupid error on the part of the junior minister of foreign affairs which has triggered a discussion on...
