Government belt tightens - $548b: Global economic meltdown forces Budget cuts in real terms
The golding administration yesterday made the first step towards keeping its pledge of austerity management this fiscal year, presenting a Budget that, in real terms, is about four and a half per cent below what the Government spent last year...
Jeering contest upstages Parliament opening
There's nothing in the Constitution that says supporters have to turn out for the ceremonial opening of Parliament, but they sure make it enjoyable. The Jamaica Labour Party candidates positioned to the north of Gordon House (above the intersection of Duke ...
Throne Speech: Hit or miss?
A panel of youth, human rights advocates and business interests, who attended a forum at The Gleaner's head office in central Kingston described the Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Dr Patrick Allen as lacking...
Estimates reveal Cabinet reshuffle no fly-by-night move
There is no doubt that the Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Golding on Monday was a surprise to many, including members of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).But the Estimates of Expen-diture tabled in Parliament yesterday made it clear that...
Courthouses command over $400m of Budget
Just over $400 million has been set aside in the Budget to construct and improve courthouses this fiscal year.The big-ticket item is the purchase and renovation of the National Commercial Bank building on King Street in downtown Kingston....
Golding beefs up sector
RESPONDING TO concerns that the health sector was struggling to deliver on its no-user-fee policy, the Bruce Golding administration has increased its allocation for health care by more than half a billion dollars in the Estimates of Expenditure....
More for UTech, less for UWI
THE GOVERNMENT'S grant to the University of the West Indies (UWI) from the national budget is set to decrease. At the same time, more funds should be flowing to the University of Technology (UTech) if Parliament's Standing Finance Committee approves ...
Funding slashed for tourism promotion
The Government has slashed the allocation for the overseas promotion of tourism despite repeated claims that this is one of the industries which could help the country out of its current financial quagmire.That is part of an overall cut to the Edmund...
Government of Jamaica spends big bucks on guns and ammo
MORE TAX dollars are projected to head to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to purchase weapons and ammunition, figures contained in the Estimates of Expenditure for the 2009-2010 fiscal year reveal...
Jamaica's debt burden is also yours!
You may not be aware of it, but you - and every other Jamaican - were, at the end of January, in debt to the tune of nearly $450,000.That is apart from any money you may have borrowed from your commercial bank, credit union, building society...
How bauxite downturn may affect Budget
Slide in prices - 1. Jamaica's bauxite and alumina industry is undergoing its worst crisis since the 1980s, brought on by the collapse of demand for aluminium products and the consequential slide in prices...
Students, teachers out west pleased with CSEC seminar
Western Bureau: Students from as far as Manchester flocked the Sean Lavery Faith Hall in Savanna-la-Mar on Monday to participate in The Gleaner's Youthlink Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) seminar, which sought to assist students in getting ready...
Child Month committee launched
A call to protect the nation's children was again made yesterday as the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) launched Child Month.Child Month will be observed in May under the theme 'Preserve the Environment: Protect Our Children"....
Well done, to the good Samaritans
Sometimes I wish I could write 'Love thy neighbour as thyself' across the sky. Maybe people would think God wrote it and start taking it more seriously. Remember, your neighbour is not restricted to those who live beside you...