Fuel fallout The removal of the fuel price cap at Petrojam, the state-owned oil refinery, will trigger an increase in the price of basic food items and some essential goods and services across several sectors, an economist has warned. The cap prevented fuel prices in Jamaica from increasing or decreasing beyond $4.50 per litre each week. It will be replaced by a new three-tiered system which will see petroleum prices being more closely aligned to global price movements, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz disclosed yesterday.
30-y-o arrest warrant found on file Courtney Anderson’s trip to the Half-Way Tree Court on Tuesday 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 walked in “with the confidence of a lion” left shaken “like a frightened rabbit”, empty-handed and facing a shocking revelation.
Vigilance urged in keeping eye open for hand, foot and mouth disease Western Bureau: With the nation now in one of the windows associated with the emergence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), health officials are urging parents, caregivers, and educators to remain alert and proactive, even in the absence of confirmed cases.
Residents rattled by raid Residents of Whitfield Town in St Andrew say they were left shaken and fearful early Wednesday morning after what they initially believed was an armed invasion, as explosions rang out and the sound of running boots echoed through sections of Bowens Road and Stephen Lane. At first light, it was confirmed that a planned police operation had taken place – one that left two men dead.
School nutrition policy hungry for implementation Nearly a year after the National School Nutrition policy was approved by the Senate, and its implementation officially launched, advocates are raising concerns over the pace of its roll-out. “Our Government will write policies, but the implementation is where the challenge happens,” Shannique Bowden, executive director of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), asserted yesterday during a panel discussion at a forum on ‘Healthy Food Policies and Consumer Rights’ hosted by JYAN.
Holness to address New York ‘Recover Better’ confab today The Jamaican Consulate in New York will convene an all-day conference at its Midtown Manhattan headquarters today, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss how Jamaica can build back better following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is scheduled to address the conference, themed ‘Recover Better: Mobilising the Diaspora for Jamaica’s National Reconstruction and Resilience’.
Vaz floats policies to ‘limit movements’, preserve energy security amid oil volatility Amid the volatility in the world oil market, Jamaica’s energy security remains intact and there is no need for panic, the Government has sought to assure. Energy Minister Daryl Vaz, who delivered the assurance yesterday, however also signalled that, as part of an attempt to encourage energy conservation, the Government would have to consider policies that would “limit movements”.
T&T PM accuses CARICOM of ‘backroom operation’ over Barnett reappointment WESTERN BUREAU: Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has launched a scathing attack on the leadership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), accusing the regional body of operating a “corrupt backroom operation” in relation to the reappointment of Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett.
Consultancy under scrutiny One lawmaker has requested from the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) a capability statement for William Pragmatic Limited, the consultancy firm flagged in January by the auditor general for not delivering an operational review and turnaround plan for the teaching institution. It took the company almost a year and six months to deliver a draft operational review and turnaround plan for the institution, one month after it was highlighted in the auditor general’s performance audit.
$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 officer of the UHWI, Eric Hosin, told members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that the hospital owed Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) more than $40 billion in taxes. He said $18 billion of this amount is the principal sum owed and the balance represents interest and penalties.