Retailers flee pricy locations in MoBay
The commercial real-estate market is seeing a shift in demand by retailers who are giving up space in high-rent locations and seeking inexpensive display, storage and operating space in Montego Bay, usually in the centre of the town.

NCB all in
National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) will participate fully in the Government's debt-exchange programme (JDX), the banking group said, but warned it would result in lower income yields.

CARTAC launches 'financially fit' campaign
The Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) has launched a financial literacy website intended to develop a more financially literate populace across the region.

Air Jamaica deal one week away
Trinidad will say within a week whether it is buying Air Jamaica, and will disclose the terms under which it will takeover the loss-making carrier, Finance Minister Audley Shaw said Wednesday.

Shaw favours stock market listing for Port Authority
The Government is leaning towards floating the Port Authority of Jamaica on the stock exchange to raise equity capital for the over-leveraged firm, while broadening its ownership. The Port Authority is one of 15 to 20 state-owned businesses and assets up for privatisation

Women drivers often need 'backative'
In March 2009, my 1995 Nissan Sunny car was hit by a Leyland truck. The truck is owned by L.P., who lives abroad, and was driven by S.B. The third-party insurers have denied liability. The driver's licence was issued only three months before the accident. The policy requires him to have had a licence for not less than three years. I contacted the owner's son. With a 'take it or leave it attitude', he told me that he was willing to stand half the cost of repairs.

Jobless pay on the agenda - Government, unions to discuss issue in February
While Jamaica has not yet decided to follow The Bahamas and other Caribbean governments in setting aside funds to support persons who have lost their jobs, Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles has said the matter is set for discussion with trade unions when the matter of redundancy pay for civil servants set to lose their jobs comes up for talks next month.

Buddies build online rental business
House hunting is changing. In fact, so too is the search for anything you want to rent. Driven by their own bad house-hunting experiences, a group of university students has teamed up to do brisk business placing rentals online.

Caribbean heads take lead on 'working group' for reconstruction in Haiti
It is hard to comprehend the scale of the suffering that the people of Haiti have had to endure since January 12. Then, the capital and areas close to the epicentre of the earthquake of what was already the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, were plunged into circumstances from which it will take decades to recover.