Jamaica Gleaner
SHOW OF FORCE
AFORMER senior CARICOM official sees the docking of one of the world’s largest warships, the USS Nimitz, in Jamaican waters on Monday as a tactic by the Donald Trump Administration to “intimidate” Cubans. The Government on Monday welcomed the arrival...
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MP wants water issues settled before new hospital opens
ST JAMES Central Member of Parliament (MP) Heroy Clarke wants the water shortage issues currently affecting Appleton Hall and surrounding areas to be resolved before the new Western Children and Adolescent Hospital is official opened. Clarke, who was...
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FORGOTTEN VICTIMS
BEFORE HURRICANE Melissa, they had a home, a livelihood, friends of their own age and a sense of normalcy. Seven months later, all that remains is each other, a weathered couch and an ageing handheld radio through which they follow a world that has...
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SCRUTINY GAP
PUBLIC OFFICIALS in Jamaica do not “instinctively” embrace oversight and monitoring, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has asserted. Golding, who served as prime minister between 2007 and 2011, said oversight and monitoring for some officials “is a...
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LABOUR LAW TENSION
MONTEGO BAY Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) President Jason Russell is pushing for changes to Jamaica’s labour laws, arguing that some regulations are too rigid for small businesses and place an unfair burden on micro and small...
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Gov’t pockets 70% of $1b allocated to poor under Solidarity Programme
A REVELATION by Dione Jennings, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, that about 77 per cent, or $$770 million, of the $1 billion set aside for the Government’s Solidarity Programme has been“returned for debt reduction”...
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HARSH REALITY Jamaican medical students in Cuba plead for help amid deepening crisis
DESPITE HAVANA’S reported assurances of normalcy, a crippling infrastructure collapse has left Jamaican medical students in Cuba facing severe hardships, including the reduction in teaching sessions, threatening both their career training and mental...
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‘COMMON NONSENSE’
PRIME MINISTER Dr Andrew Holness has pushed back against mounting criticism over more than $1 billion in hurricane donations that remained largely unspent months after Hurricane Melissa, accusing critics of promoting what he described as “common...
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‘BOAT NEVER DELIVERED’
TWO WEEKS after 71-yearold boat captain Reuben Bajjo and 22-year-old seaman Mikael Ricketts mysteriously vanished, allegedly at sea and while aboard the vessel M/V Black Pearl, distraught relatives say they remain desperate for answers and are clinging...
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PRIVACY CRY
THE GOVERNMENT has moved to court to prevent the Integrity Commission from compelling the Ministry of Health and Wellness to produce eight employment files as part of its investigation into alleged corruption linked to the Jamaica-Cuba Eye Care...
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Spacex launch disrupts Jamaica airspace; Jetblue flight forced to turn back
A KINGSTON-BOUND Jetblue flight was forced to return to Miami while several other international services were delayed or left overnight in Jamaica on Friday as temporary airspace restrictions linked to a Spacex Starship launch again disrupted Caribbean...
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BAILOUT PLEA
TRANSPORT OPERATORS in the tourism sector are complaining that mounting debt, prolonged hotel closures, and growing competition from ride-sharing companies are pushing thousands of contract carriage drivers towards economic collapse in the aftermath of...
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TECH TAKES THE WHEEL
WITH MORE than 1.1 million motor vehicle registrations processed online, Audrey Marks, the minister with responsibility for efficiency, innovation and digital transformation in the Office of the Prime Minister, is hailing the achievement as reflecting...
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CONSCIENCE CRISIS
DESPITE JAMAICA’S economic progress, successive generations have failed to implement the social reforms needed to improve the lives of all Jamaicans, businessman Howard Mitchell has asserted. His remarks come amid findings highlighted yesterday from...
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FEAR & FURY
TENSIONS FLARED in Granville, St James, on Monday as angry residents mounted fiery roadblocks to protest the fatal police shooting of 45-year-old Latoya‘buju’bulgin under controversial circumstances. By the time The Gleaner arrived in the community...
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Beaches launches US$1B Caribbean expansion
THE OFFICIAL opening of Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday marked the first major step in a planned Us$1-billion expansion for the Jamaicanowned hospitality brand. The investment will see Beaches...
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FLA STICKS UP HOUSE
A REPORT on an Integrity Commission investigation into alleged corruption and irregularities at the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) remains untabled in Parliament six weeks after its submission amid a legal challenge by the gun regulator in the...
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CHAIRLOADS OF GUNS
A JAMAICAN music producer has pleaded guilty in the United States (US) to smuggling dozens of firearms and ammunition to Jamaica by concealing the weapons inside furniture shipments, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of...
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SHELTER CRISIS
BLACK RIVER Mayor Richard Solomon says St Elizabeth remains dangerously unprepared for the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins in another two weeks, with more than half of its emergency shelters left unusable after Hurricane Melissa’s destruction...
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A MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE
A 13-YEAR-OLD Excelsior High School student re‑ mains in a coma at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) after she was stabbed while trying to inter‑ vene in a violent domestic dispute in Bayshore Park in the vicinity of Harbour View, St Andrew, on...
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Relief red flag
FOUR MONTHS after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa left a path of destruction, particularly across southern and western Jamaica, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had spent only $26 million, or 1.8 per cent of the $1.44...
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BEYOND AID
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is seeking to rebrand its relationship with Jamaica, signalling a shift away from traditional donor-recipient dynamics to a partnership of potential amid a crumbling global order. Speaking against the backdrop of recovery...
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A run for moms
FOR ALICIA Robinson, the best Mother’s Day gift this year was not flowers or jewellery, but crossing the finish line of the inaugural Run For Mom 5K beside her daughter, Renee Robinson, as they made their way through and around the streets of Tivoli...
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‘CALL THE COPS’
THE HORRIFYING news came from the suspected killer’s mother. On the other end of the line, the woman’s breathy, raspy voice told stunned relatives in New York that Melissa Kerry Samnath had been killed while on vacation in Jamaica. As the family...
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SPEED SELLS JAMAICA
WITH CLOSE to 54 million Youtube subscribers, Internet sensation Ishowspeed has turned his visit to Jamaica into a global spectacle, giving the island major visibility among younger travellers. The American content creator, whose Caribbean tour has...
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VIRAL CRIME
CONCERNS ARE growing over the use of social media platform Tiktok as a marketplace for the sale of endangered Jamaican species, with conservation biologist Damion Whyte urging the authorities to make every effort to find and prosecute individuals who...
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Fraud case fallout
THE TWO law-enforcement agencies that investigated a multimillion-dollar fraud at Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) nine years ago are now in the process of consulting the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) after the case against the...
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Viral teachers, REAL BOUNDARIES
FOR A growing number of Jamaican educators, the classroom is no longer limited to the physical space, but extends to their social media feed where their teaching expertise and experience become content for an engaged online audience comprising...
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NINE-YEAR NIGHTMARE
FIVE WOMEN who were arrested and charged nine years ago in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud, which the authorities said was uncovered at Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), were exonerated yesterday, ending a case plagued by nearly three dozen...
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Bond sealed at Old Harbour Bay as Jamaica marks 180 years since arrival of East Indians
A SYMBOLIC unveiling of a renovated monument at Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine, on Sunday marked 180 years since the arrival of the first East Indians to Jamaica, reinforcing a shared history rooted in resilience, adaptation and cultural exchange. The...
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VIRTUAL SHIFT $240
Rising fuel prices are forcing schools to brace for a possible return to online learning, with at least one Kingston institution already preparing as the Middle East war persists. Last month, Wolmer’s Boys’ School issued a questionnaire to parents and...
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DT: THE PERFECT SHIP’S CAPTAIN
TRIBUTES FLOODED the airwaves on Thursday as stunned colleagues, listeners, and relatives saluted broadcaster Daniel ‘DT’ Thompson, who passed away after falling ill earlier this week. For 28 years, the St Elizabeth native’s smooth, rich, and velvety...
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No panic over PEP
DESPITE STILL feeling the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which devastated Jamaica last October, the 2026 sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations started smoothly across western Jamaica yesterday, with students, parents, and teachers...
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SCHOOL RIGHTS CHALLENGE
ARGUING THAT Jamaica’s education system was gradually collapsing, Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford on Tuesday announced that he has taken the Government to court to defend the constitutional rights of children at the pre-primary and...
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SIX MONTHS IN THE DARK
SIX MONTHS after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, residents of the small coastal community of Parottee in St Elizabeth say their most urgent needs are the restoration of electricity and access to water, as recovery continues at a slow pace. “We...
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Organised crime on cops’ radar in New Kingston murder
A 61-YEAR-OLD Colombian national was gunned down in a brazen attack at Kensington Court in New Kingston on Friday night, in what investigators believe may be linked to transnational organised criminal activity. The deceased has been identified as...
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UNQUALIFIED
AN INTERNAL audit has uncovered irregular human resource practices at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), including the appointment of four senior directors who did not meet the minimum qualification requirements. These positions...
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PM urges local contractors to ‘invest in yourselves’, become more globally competitive
LOCAL CONTRACTORS are being urged to make the necessary investment in their companies to effectively compete for large-scale government projects. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made the suggestion while speaking at the National Housing Trust (NHT)...
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SUGAR RECALL
THE MINISTRY of Health &Wellness has ordered an immediate halt to the production, distribution, and sale of sugar from Pan-caribbean Sugar Company Limited (PCSC) after preliminary tests detected metal fragments in the packaged sugar. Additionally,...
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PARTY PATROL
THE GOVERNMENT has signalled a firmer stance against rising violence at entertainment events, with Deputy Prime Minister and National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang warning that criminals will not be allowed to hijack Jamaica’s party...
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NEEDLESS TRAGEDY
A SIMMERING feud between two teenage schoolboys, marked by repeated clashes, taunts and reports to authorities, erupted in deadly violence on Monday, with both families insisting that the teen’s death could have been prevented had both sides come...
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MORE HEAT ON JC
THE MOTHER of the former Jamaica College (JC) schoolboy who suffered injuries after a violent attack weeks ago believes her claim that the school has a gang and bullying culture has been supported by the emergence of footage showing another boy being...
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SHOCKED AND CONFUSED
WHEN COURTNEY Anderson went to court last Thursday, the last thing he expected was that the judge would order his arrest, have him jailed, and place a stop order against him. If that was not shocking enough, he also did not expect to spend the weekend...
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NOT MY BILL
SCIENTIFIC AND Medical Supplies has rejected findings by the auditor general that the company benefited from a “misuse” of the University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI) tax-exemption status for imports, and has signalled it has no intention of...
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SURVIVAL STORY
DEFENCE ATTORNEY Isat Buchanan has raised concerns about what he describes as a troubling signal being sent by law enforcement following charges laid against popular podcaster Jhaedee Richards, more popularly known as Jaii Frais, in connection with...
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BLOCKED!
SHOCKWAVES RIPPLED through the global track and field community – particularly in Jamaica – after World Athletics (WA) on Thursday blocked the transfer of allegiance to Türkiye for 11 professional athletes in an unprecedented ruling. WA said the move,...
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30-y-o arrest warrant found on file
COURTNEY ANDERSON’S trip to the Half-waytree Court ontuesday was supposed to end a 20-year wait for documents confirming the dismissal of a 1996 case against him – the final step needed to begin the expungement of his record. Instead, the man who...
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$40B HOLE
THE FINANCIAL standing of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is now under scrutiny following revelations yesterday that the teaching institution has a ballooning tax debt amounting to tens of billions of dollars. Acting chief executive...
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Probe deepens after Carnival night erupts in gunfire
INVESTIGATORS PROBING Sunday night’s shooting at the Big Wall Carnival after-party say it is still “very early days as it relates to charges”, even as eyewitness accounts, reported security gaps, and the experience of an injured American visitor...
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From Churchill Downs to Serenity Ranch
FOR MORE than 150 years, the Kentucky Derby has stood as one of the most iconic and prestigious traditions in American history. Established in 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the Derby quickly became known as ‘The Most Exciting Two...
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$5m AIRBNB PAYDAY
PROPERTIES LISTED for short-term rental in St Ann are generating the highest average revenue in Jamaica at around $5 million a year, with Kingston hosting the most active listings on the market, data indicate. Short-term rentals appeal to a growing...
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NO FIRING FIX
HEALTH AND Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says the removal of individual heads at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) will do little to cure a “dysfunctional culture” that has metastasised within the institution for decades. His...
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‘UNGODLY, CRUEL’
REVEREND LEON Paul Golding, head of the Anglican Church in Jamaica, has condemned recent actions taken by the United States (US) against Cuba as “ungodly”. Addressing the opening service of the 155th Synod of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman...
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Utech president wants end to TVET stigma
WESTERN BUREAU: DR KEVIN Brown, president of The University of Technology, Jamaica (Utech), has joined calls for an end to the stigma that currently exists against technical and vocational education and training (TVET) subjects in Jamaica’s education...
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Rastafari community receives land titles in restorative justice move
IN A landmark act of restitution, the Government of Jamaica on Friday handed over land titles to the Rastafari community in Albion Heights, St James, securing property intended for a cultural centre and elders’ home. The titles for two properties...
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Easter HOPE
ON THE most important weekend in Christianity, which should have been filled with polished pews, floral arrangements, and the echo of choirs beneath sturdy rooftops, many Jamaicans are instead gathering under tarpaulins, in classrooms, or beneath the...
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Student in wounding case to face JC board
IN KEEPING with the Education Regulations of 1980, the Jamaica College (JC) student charged with wounding a classmate lasttuesday is to face the personnel committee of the school’s board, principal Wayne Robinson has revealed. Following a statement...
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‘WE TRIED’
JAMAICA COACH Rudolph Speid said his team lost concentration on one play and that made the difference in their FIFA Intercontinental World Cup Playoff final against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after the Reggae Boyz’s 2026 World Cup dream...
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LAST SHOT
IT SHALL be now or never for the Reggae Boyz, when they take their final kick at qualifying for this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today. Match time is 4 p.m. Mexico’s Akron Stadium in Zapopan,...
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‘DAY OF RECKONING’
DECLARING THAT no act of violence will go unanswered, Pastor Adolphus Smith yesterday warned that there will be “a day of reckoning” as he addressed mourners at the funeral of slain Denham Town shopkeeper Kerrio ‘Boyu’ Pinnock. “All those who believe...
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TRUE BLUE
THE 116TH ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) were all blue, as Edwin Allen dethroned defending champions Hydel to secure their 11th title, while Jamaica College got the better of defending champions Kingston College to...
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TESHA MILLER EYES PRIVY COUNCIL
TESHA MILLER’S legal team is weighing the possibility of taking his case to the Privy Council, after the Court of Appeal quashed his convictions for accessory to murder but ordered a retrial. The appellate court, in a judgment delivered yesterday,...
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TANK-WELD FLAGGED
TANK-WELD METALS (TW), the leading supplier of steel products in Jamaica, is “likely abusing its dominance in the market by harming rivals and customers”, a report by the country’s fair competition watchdog has concluded. The report is based on an...
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GUIDED TO GREATNESS
IT WAS the guidance of a mentor that led Dorrette Rhoden Henry into the teaching profession and, 30 years later, that influence continues to shape her approach to teaching and learning. After graduating from the Mary Mount High School in St Mary,...
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TAX TWEAK
THE GOVERNMENT has adjusted its tax policy in relation to the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on non-alcoholic sweetened beverages and the Environmental Protection Levy on domestic goods, but the measures will remain revenue neutral. In closing the...
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DOCTORS IN DEPARTURE LOUNGE
AS THE curtain falls on more than half a century of medical cooperation with Jamaica, highly trained Cuban specialists will begin exiting the island this Thursday, departing on four chartered flights from Kingston to their homeland, which has been...
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HEADING HOME WITH A HEAVY HEART
REGARDED AS part of the‘dream team’ of specialist ophthalmologists at St Joseph’s Hospital, Dr Roberto Mirales has spent years restoring sight to patients once condemned to darkness. Affectionately called ‘Dr Roberto’, the Cuban doctor has worked in...
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3D PRINTER CLAMPDOWN
CUSTOMS OFFICIALS have implemented a new policy that mandates employees to detain all threedimensional or 3D printers imported into Jamaica, pending an internal verification of the enduser, a leaked internal memo has revealed. The move by the Jamaica...
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INSPECTORS ON DECK
FUTURE LEADERS in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are being warned to rethink the popular view that “knowledge is power”, as approaching leadership in this way can be dangerous and risk failing those they are meant to serve. Instead, drawing on...
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HOLNESS PRESSING FAST-FORWARD
SIGNALLING THAT delays in the implementation of critical national investment projects will soon be a thing of the past, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has indicated that his administration is advancing two powerful and complementary reforms – one...
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HOLNESS IN THE HOT SEAT
PRIME MINISTER Dr Andrew Holness comes to the proverbial wicket today to make his 11th contribution to the yearly Budget Debate at a time when the country is said to be transitioning from recovery to reconstruction posthurricane Melissa. Jamaica also,...
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LEAKAGE LOCKDOWN
OPPOSITION LEADER Mark Golding is proposing a digital dragnet that he says could cut tax leakages and pump approximately $70 billion into the Government’s coffers while describing the Holness administration’s $18-billion tax package as...
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GOLDING’S MOVE
DESPITE NOT being able to implement policy decisions from his position in Parliament, much is expected when Opposition Leader Mark Golding makes his presentation this afternoon in the 2026–2027 Budget Debate at Gordon House. Golding, the third speaker...
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WEIGHT OF WAR
FISCAL COMMISSIONER Courtney Williams has sounded a warning that the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are posing a material risk to the Jamaican economy, and that a prolonged conflict could lead to worsened terms of trade and amplified price...
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