分类： society

Jamaica has commenced its 2026 seasonal agricultural program with the inaugural departure of 182 workers to Canada, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s overseas employment initiatives. The send-off ceremony, held at Kingston’s Overseas Employment Centre, was presided over by Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr., who emphasized the program’s transformative impact on Jamaican families and national economic resilience.

Minister Charles characterized the event as more than a mere departure, describing it as ‘a continuation of a proud legacy built on discipline, integrity, and hard work.’ Official statistics reveal that since January 1, 2025, over 15,000 Jamaicans have secured overseas employment in Canada and the United States, exceeding previous annual figures.

The current cohort includes 97 workers who departed Tuesday with an additional 85 scheduled for Wednesday travel. These agricultural specialists will be dispersed across multiple Canadian provinces—Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland—where they will dedicate eight months to greenhouse operations and fruit and vegetable cultivation.

A noteworthy 90% of the group consists of returning workers, indicating strong employer satisfaction and the program’s sustained success. The ceremony was attended by Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman, alongside senior ministry officials and media representatives.

Minister Charles highlighted the program’s particular importance following Hurricane Melissa, which has compromised housing and livelihoods throughout Jamaica. ‘Overseas employment provides stability, dignity, and a pathway for families to rebuild during this recovery period,’ he affirmed.

As Jamaica approaches the 60th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme in 2026, the government reaffirmed its commitment to both preserving the program’s integrity and implementing modernizations for future sustainability. Workers were urged to maintain health and safety protocols, support fellow team members, and uphold Jamaica’s reputation for excellence.

In a striking address during Monday’s judicial swearing-in ceremony at King’s House in St. Andrew, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes delivered a blistering critique of Jamaica’s deteriorating court infrastructure and systemic inefficiencies plaguing the justice system. Speaking with unusual candor, Justice Sykes challenged the island’s political leadership to experience firsthand the substandard working conditions that judges and court staff endure daily.

The Chief Justice pointedly remarked that aside from the recently refurbished Court of Appeal building in downtown Kingston, no Jamaican court facility meets standards that Justice Minister Delroy Chuck or Permanent Secretary Grace Ann Stewart McFarlane would willingly occupy. Drawing on biblical principles of reciprocity, Sykes emphasized that those allocating resources should consider whether they themselves would work under such conditions.

Despite these challenges, Sykes highlighted extraordinary efforts by judiciary personnel, particularly at Kingston’s Traffic Court, where judges have been working evenings until 8:00 or 9:00 PM and weekends to eliminate case backlogs. Their dedication has positioned the Traffic Court to become ‘backlog-free’ for the first time in memory—a remarkable achievement given the facility’s limitations.

The Chief Justice revealed that expansion plans for the South Camp Road court building had been halted after engineers discovered the existing structure couldn’t support an additional floor. He warned that temporary accommodations consistently become permanent solutions, citing the Family Court in western Jamaica where staff who joined fresh from high school have now reached retirement age while still operating from a plaza.

Budgetary autonomy emerged as a central concern, with Sykes questioning why the justice ministry maintains control over significant portions of the judiciary’s budget despite earlier promises of reform. This control affects practical matters like power supply, where the ministry’s insistence on solar power alone—without backup generators—ignores practical realities demonstrated during Hurricane Melissa last October, when generators proved essential after solar panels sustained damage.

Despite these systemic challenges, Sykes celebrated the judiciary’s achievements: parish courts maintain under three percent net backlog, the Court of Appeal delivers 56 judgments for every 10 reserved, and structural reforms are underway in Supreme Court registries with Finance Ministry support. These changes will implement a docket system where judges, masters, and staff work in dedicated case management teams.

The ceremony saw several judicial promotions: Justices Lorna Shelly Williams and Caroline Tie Powell to act as Court of Appeal judges; Chief Parish Court Judge Chester Crooks and Judge Kamar Henry Anderson to act as Supreme Court puisne judges; and Christine McNiel and Yvette Miller appointed acting masters-in-chamber. These acting positions extend through March 27, 2026.

In an extraordinary display of community spirit, maintenance personnel from Jamaica’s National Water Commission (NWC) have channeled their year-end celebration funds toward disaster recovery efforts at a vulnerable elderly care facility. The Ultimate Care Centre in Catherine Hall, St. James, which suffered catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Melissa, became the beneficiary of this redirected corporate generosity.

The eastern maintenance team’s contribution included vital supplies such as drinking water, adult hygiene products, cleaning equipment, bedding materials, and essential household goods. This support arrived at a critical juncture for the care home, whose ground level was submerged under nearly six feet of floodwater that destroyed furnishings and operational equipment.

Ann Bolt, Acting Community Relations Manager for the eastern region, commended her staff’s selfless decision during the donation ceremony. She characterized the maintenance personnel as the organization’s ‘heartbeat’ and emphasized their voluntary choice to prioritize community welfare over personal celebration following the hurricane’s devastation.

Care center proprietor Lorna Bogle conveyed profound appreciation for the unexpected assistance, noting that the contribution would extend beyond the facility to help other affected community members. The gesture has infused renewed optimism among residents and caregivers alike, demonstrating how collective action and empathy can powerfully address crisis situations.

The NWC’s initiative establishes a notable precedent for corporate social responsibility, illustrating how reallocating resources can generate substantial positive impact when communities face natural disasters and humanitarian challenges.

Jamaica’s Police Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake has issued a compelling call for enhanced community engagement within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), emphasizing that historic crime reductions must be reinforced through strengthened public trust. Speaking at Monday’s Commissioner’s Annual Devotion ceremony, Blake cautioned against complacency despite the force achieving the nation’s lowest homicide rate since 1993.

The event, themed ‘Strengthening Our People, Strengthening Our Bonds, Strengthening Jamaica,’ served as both reflection and roadmap as Blake outlined strategic priorities for 2026. While acknowledging the JCF’s record-breaking performance—673 murders recorded in 2025 representing a dramatic decline from previous years—the commissioner insisted statistical success alone cannot define meaningful progress.

Blake articulated that national security fundamentally originates from human connections rather than institutional resources. ‘Trust is not built by force, but through relationships,’ he stated, emphasizing that every police-citizen interaction contributes to the broader social fabric. The commissioner attributed recent crime reductions to improved operational effectiveness, internal reforms, and community collaboration, but warned these gains remain fragile without sustained relational investment.

Looking ahead, Blake established three core objectives: enhanced officer well-being and professional development, strengthened internal and external partnerships, and expanded recognition of policing’s role in national development. He highlighted the extraordinary physical, emotional, and psychological demands of police work, asserting that officer wellness directly correlates to service quality.

The commissioner specifically cautioned against uneven reform implementation, urging consistent trust-building measures across all communities rather than selected divisions. He framed the coming year as an opportunity to transition ‘beyond momentum and into maturity,’ where institutional strength becomes sustainable through deepened relationships and elevated service standards.

Blake concluded with a call for unified purpose: ‘Let us draw inspiration from progress already made but not become complacent. With God as our refuge and strength, and with one another as partners, we can continue building a safer, more peaceful, and more confident Jamaica.’

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has encountered significant technical difficulties with its driver’s license validation infrastructure, prompting a widespread suspension of multiple essential services across digital and physical channels. The agency confirmed that its core verification mechanism is currently inoperative, creating substantial disruptions for citizens attempting to complete various transportation-related transactions.

The technological failure has particularly impacted digital services, rendering impossible the completion of driver’s license fee settlements, traffic violation fine payments, and private vehicle registration processing through online platforms. Concurrently, physical office operations have been similarly constrained, with TAJ locations unable to process driver’s license applications or accept traffic penalty payments due to the system-wide outage.

Notably, standard motor vehicle registration services continue to operate without interruption at TAJ facilities, providing citizens with at least one unaffected channel for transportation documentation needs. The authority has extended formal apologies for the operational inconvenience and emphasized its collaborative efforts with technical partners to achieve rapid system restoration.

TAJ has established dedicated communication channels for public inquiries, directing citizens to contact their Customer Care Center at 888-TAX-HELP (829-4357). Additionally, the administration encourages monitoring its verified social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X for real-time updates regarding service resumption timelines.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a remarkable demonstration of corporate social responsibility, Salada Foods has redirected its year-end celebrations toward supporting agricultural communities devastated by Hurricane Melissa. More than 40 employees from the company’s Kingston headquarters assembled over 600 essential care packages for distribution to struggling farmers in St Elizabeth.

The initiative marked the conclusion of Salada’s 2025 production cycle at its Bell Road manufacturing facility. The effort was spearheaded by General Manager Tamii Brown and notably included participation from teachers and students of Jebb Memorial Basic School, an institution adopted by the company.

Brown emphasized the company’s philosophical approach: “Salada operates within an interconnected ecosystem sustained by close relationships with people, communities, and partners. Our farmers represent a crucial component of this system; their hardships directly affect us all. These relief packages symbolize our mutual bonds and profound dedication to assisting farmers, families, and neighbors during periods of adversity.”

The care packages contained vital food supplies and hygiene products, alongside Salada’s recently introduced sorrel hibiscus beverage—a traditional Jamaican drink launched by the company in November 2025.

The initiative garnered official recognition from Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, who visited during packing operations. Minister Green stated: “I commend Salada for this intervention, particularly as we approach the Christmas season. Many farmers have returned to their lands but continue to face extremely challenging conditions. This assistance significantly alleviates their burden by providing essential items to sustain them throughout this period.”

In a departure from convention, the company replaced its customary annual staff party with this humanitarian effort, choosing instead to deliver tangible support to agricultural workers following the hurricane’s destruction.

Following the relief operation, Salada turned its attention internally to acknowledge outstanding employee contributions through its departmental ‘Gem Awards.’ Recipients included Akeele Johnson (Warehouse), Duane Taylor (Sanitation), Anthony Anglin (Production), Peter Collins (Engineering and Maintenance), Richard Thomas (Accounts), and Karimah Shepherd (Quality and Laboratory).

Brown praised the awardees: “Our Gems have demonstrated extraordinary diligence, commitment, and a consistent willingness to exceed expectations this year. They truly embody the values that define Team Salada.”