分类： politics

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s top anti-corruption oversight body, the Integrity Commission (IC), has launched a formal investigation into questionable practices at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), the island nation’s only teaching hospital. The investigation was triggered by a damning audit report compiled by Auditor General Pamela Munroe Ellis, which detailed serious procurement irregularities at the facility.

The most damaging finding from Ellis’ audit centers on a long-running scheme that saw UHWI repeatedly grant private companies access to its government-granted tax-exempt status for importing goods into Jamaica. This unauthorized misuse of the hospital’s privileged tax position has left Jamaican public coffers short more than 20 million Jamaican dollars in lost revenue, according to the audit.

The existence of the active IC probe was revealed publicly by Eric Hosin, the acting chief executive officer of UHWI, during a Tuesday sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the legislative body tasked with overseeing government spending and accountability.

During his testimony before the committee, Hosin confirmed that IC investigators had already completed an on-site visit to the UHWI campus. As part of their evidence-gathering process, the anti-corruption team has officially seized and isolated two sets of critical documents: records tied to the unauthorized misuse of the hospital’s tax-exempt import status, and procurement files related to civil construction projects carried out at the facility.

Hosin also named the four private entities that improperly benefited from the scheme: Supreme Laundry Services, Willman Sales, Scientific Medical Services, and JACDEN Limited. As the investigation unfolds, public officials are facing mounting pressure to address gaps in oversight at the public teaching hospital and recover the millions in lost tax revenue.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a targeted effort to strengthen Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction planning, Jamaica’s Minister of Works Robert Nesta Morgan has wrapped up a high-impact working visit to Peru, hosted to study the South American nation’s globally acclaimed model for large-scale post-disaster infrastructure recovery.

Back in 2025, Hurricane Melissa swept across Jamaica, leaving a trail of widespread destruction to the country’s built environment, pushing Jamaica’s government to search for proven, scalable strategies to guide its own recovery and long-term infrastructure development. The UK government stepped in to facilitate the knowledge-sharing mission, connecting Jamaican officials with Peru’s decades of experience in post-disaster rebuilding.

Peru’s own reconstruction journey began in the wake of the catastrophic 2017 El Niño Costero event, a climate-driven disaster that disrupted the lives of more than 1.5 million Peruvians and crippled key public infrastructure across the country. In the years following the crisis, Peruvian authorities built a specialized, centralized reconstruction body that eventually evolved into the National Infrastructure Authority (ANIN), a permanent agency that now oversees all major infrastructure projects across the nation.

During Morgan’s visit, UK partners organized a full schedule of technical briefings, collaborative workshops, and on-site visits to completed infrastructure projects for the Jamaican delegation. These engagements gave the team first-hand insight into how Peru’s model can be adapted to Jamaica’s unique post-disaster context.

In a reflection on the trip, Morgan emphasized that the visit drove home one core lesson: successful post-disaster reconstruction cannot be treated as a disconnected collection of small projects. Instead, it requires unified governance as a national-scale program, backed by robust institutional frameworks, transparent procurement systems, clear accountability structures, and an unwavering focus on long-term climate resilience.

The Jamaican government also highlighted the critical role of UK-Perrvian government partnership in making Peru’s success possible. UK technical and financial expertise accelerated the delivery of core public assets including schools, hospitals, community health centers, flood defense systems, and early climate warning infrastructure. Beyond physical construction, the partnership also supported Peru to overhaul its procurement processes, boost government transparency, and build long-term institutional capacity that endures today.

UK experts embedded directly with Peruvian technical teams to deliver complex projects on accelerated timelines, all while maintaining strict standards for construction quality, open competitive procurement, and climate-resilient design. Alicia Herbert, British High Commissioner to Jamaica, reaffirmed the UK’s ongoing commitment to Jamaica’s recovery effort.

“We are proud of the role the UK has played in Peru’s reconstruction and remain committed to supporting Jamaica as it transitions from recovery to resilient rebuilding following Hurricane Melissa,” Herbert said.

The Jamaican delegation’s itinerary included on-site visits to major completed projects in Lima, including a new school development and flood protection works at Huaycoloro gully. The team also held targeted discussions with technical partners on governance frameworks, procurement management, project controls, cross-stakeholder engagement, and long-term infrastructure planning.

Data presented during the visit illustrates the tangible impact of Peru’s national reconstruction program. To date, authorities have launched 153 individual projects across the country: 84 of these facilities are already completed and serving local communities, with another 28 currently in active construction. The portfolio spans 71 schools, five primary healthcare centers, four full hospitals, comprehensive flood protection networks, and climate early warning infrastructure, bringing improved safety and services to roughly 1.4 million Peruvians.

Morgan stressed that the visit reinforced a key takeaway: long-term institutional capacity building must go hand-in-hand with the construction of new physical infrastructure. “What stood out is that Peru did not simply rebuild what was lost. It focused on building back better, faster, and in a way that strengthened its institutions,” Morgan explained. “The transition to ANIN as a permanent delivery body is a powerful example of how reconstruction can leave a lasting legacy of improved state capacity.”

Looking ahead to Jamaica’s own recovery, Morgan outlined the key lessons the delegation will bring home: strengthening centralized program management, prioritizing high-impact projects early in the recovery process, integrating climate-resilient design into all new infrastructure, improving coordination across government agencies, centering community input in planning, and embedding long-term operations and maintenance requirements from the initial design phase.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Tuesday that King Charles III will undertake his inaugural state visit to the United States in late April, accompanied by Queen Camilla. The announcement comes amidst significant diplomatic strain between the two nations regarding the ongoing US-Israel military engagement with Iran.

The royal visit, designed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence and strengthen UK-US bilateral relations, faces opposition from nearly half of British citizens according to recent polling data. The diplomatic landscape has been complicated by President Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration, particularly regarding Britain’s reluctance to permit US warplanes to operate from UK bases for strikes against Iran.

Washington’s ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, previously emphasized that canceling the visit would constitute a ‘significant error,’ highlighting the importance of maintaining diplomatic channels despite political disagreements. The visit will include subsequent official engagements in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory.

President Trump, who previously enjoyed an elaborate state visit hosted by then-Prince Charles in September, has frequently expressed admiration for the British monarchy. However, his recent comments questioning UK military contributions and suggesting reduced US support for securing the Strait of Hormuz have created additional diplomatic complications.

Opposition figures including Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey have questioned the timing of the visit, while senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry suggested postponement might be prudent given current tensions. The royal family’s soft power diplomacy remains a crucial element in managing the relationship with the Trump administration, which has demonstrated particular receptiveness to monarchical engagement.

This will mark the first state visit by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II’s 2007 trip, which included an address to the US Congress during her fourth official visit to the country.

During a heated Tuesday sitting of Jamaica’s Parliament Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the full list of four private companies that illegally exploited the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI)’s tax-exempt status was finally made public. The revelation came after pressure from PAC members, ending weeks of partial public disclosure that only named one of the entities involved. The four entities at the center of the scandal are Supreme Laundry Services, Willman Sales, Scientific Medical Services, and JACDEN Limited. Until this week’s committee meeting, only JACDEN had been identified in public discourse; the company is led by Dennis Gordon, an opposition Member of Parliament representing the St Andrew East Central constituency. The acting chief executive officer of UHWI, Eric Hosin, confirmed the full slate of companies after repeated prodding from PAC chair Julian Robinson and committee member Christopher Brown. The entire case stems from a damning audit investigation published by the Auditor General’s Department, which documented that UHWI’s repeated practice of allowing private third-party companies to leverage its tax-exempt import status directly violates the nation’s Customs Act. This illegal arrangement has cost the Jamaican public more than J$20 million in unpaid import duties that the government never collected, according to the official audit findings. Addressing committee members on Tuesday, Hosin provided new details on the ongoing probe into JACDEN’s activities, confirming that Jamaica’s Customs Department has already wrapped up its investigation into the firm. Hosin read out key findings from the completed investigation, which confirmed that the dialysis machines at the center of JACDEN’s case were ordered, paid for, and are currently held by the private company, not the public hospital. Third-party auditors cross-checked payment records provided by JACDEN’s CEO to confirm the value of the imported equipment, and verified full ownership of the goods rests with the private firm. In a final confirmation that the arrangement violated customs law, the company itself acknowledged that UHWI handled the import process on JACDEN’s behalf to avoid paying legally required duties. The PAC hearing has opened new questions about regulatory oversight of public institutional tax exemptions, and committee members have signaled they will push for full recovery of the lost public funds and potential legal action against the companies involved.