CAP TALKS AHEAD - Government eyes new fiscal rule to rein in public-sector wage costs The Government has signalled its intention to re-establish a cap on the public sector wage bill, extending an open invitation to trade unions to help negotiate a new fiscal rule before the next round of wage talks. The proposal, made by Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams on Thursday, comes three years after the previous statutory anchor – which capped public-sector wages at nine per cent of GDP – was repealed to accommodate the public sector compensation restructuring.
Businesses gutted - Millions lost as major fire devastates Hagley Park Road commercial hub A massive fire ripped through a section of the business district along Hagley Park Road in St Andrew on Thursday, flattening at least three buildings in its wake. The fire reportedly started some time after 11 a.m. in the repairs section of the headquarters of Superior Honda Parts Limited, an auto parts dealer and service centre that specialises in new and used Honda vehicle components, motorcycles, and related automotive services. It subsequently spread to neighbouring auto-parts supplier and service centre Ketro Trading Company Limited.
Public sector wage boost warning - Salary hikes could spur spending but slow growth through infrastructure cuts, says economist A massive increase in public-sector salaries could become a double-edged sword for the economy, economist Keenan Falconer has warned, noting that cuts in infrastructure spending could undermine long-term recovery. Falconer said the wage increase could have an immediate multiplier effect on spending in the economy in the short term, suggesting that this could aid in boosting recovery through greater consumer expenditure. He said this could filter through the wider economy.
Cloud hangs over crumbling Alligator Pond Primary as new school year approaches WESTERN BUREAU: There are concerns that the Alligator Pond Primary and Infant School in Manchester may not be ready to welcome students physically at the start of the new school year as areas of critical repairs remain outstanding. Principal Gregory Bent told The Gleaner that the school’s infrastructural woes include damaged roofs and walls, the lack of perimeter fencing and restroom facilities, and a vandalised water pipe.
No lockout for grooming breaches, ministry tells schools WESTERN BUREAU: Students who turn up at school in breach of grooming or uniform rules must still be allowed through the school gates, with the Ministry of Education insisting that disciplinary measures should be administered inside the institution rather than by denying children access to classes.
Farm theft reports plunge sharply in St Bess WESTERN BUREAU: Superintendent Colridge Minto, the police commander for St Elizabeth, says praedial larceny in the parish has plunged by 76 per cent, thanks to targeted operations by the specialised Agricultural Protection Branch (APB), which has been tightening the net around persons who prey on farmers. According to Minto, the Breadbasket Parish recorded just five reports of farm theft up to July this year, compared to 21 over the corresponding period in 2025.
Derrimon suit progresses over New York roof collapse Trading conglome-rate Derrimon Trading Company Limited said it wants to recover the full cost of its New York investment, along with lost opportunity over the period, but stopped short of revealing a figure. The company, which has launched legal proceedings in the United States, acquired the businesses for more than US$9 million but also suffered “US$5 million” in lost inventory.
Senior cops targeted in cocaine probe Nearly a dozen high-ranking policemen and soldiers are the targets of a widening narcotics investigation linked to the seizure of cocaine from a police storage facility in January, which has drawn the attention of Jamaica’s international law-enforcement partners, sources have disclosed. According to the sources, the investigation has been expanded to determine whether law-enforcement personnel significantly under-reported the quantity of cocaine seized during an operation in western Jamaica months earlier.
Drained by drought - Jamaicans urged to conserve as water woes worsen Jamaicans are once again being urged to conserve water as the country continues to face severe drought conditions. Matthew Samuda, minister of water, environment and climate change, said the prolonged lack of rainfall is placing increasing pressure on Jamaica’s primary water sources, making conservation essential.
Murders in St Catherine North fall to 30-year low The St Catherine North Police Division is recording a significant decline in murders, with Senior Superintendent of Police Hopeton Nicholson describing the trend as evidence of improving safety and security across the division. Nicholson, who heads the division, said the area has recorded a 43 per cent reduction in murders, resulting in the lowest number of killings since the division was established 30 years ago.