ADVT.

Significant Drop in Major CrimesNATIONAL SEC-

URITY Minister,Hon. Peter Bunting,

has reported a significantdrop in major crimes sincethe start of the year, withdouble-digit reductions inall categories. “We have started out veryencouragingly. For January,murders were down by 31per cent; shootings down 25per cent; rape down 45 percent; aggravated assaultdown 40 per cent; andacquisitory crimes such asrobbery, break-ins and lar-ceny, are collectively down44 per cent,” he informed. The Minister wasspeaking at the officialopening of the newly refur-bished Negril Police Stationin Westmoreland last week. Mr. Bunting attributedthe reduction to improvedcrime-fighting strategiesbeing implemented by theJamaica Constabulary Force

(JCF), including an increasedfocus on community policing. He said the police havealso made “visible break-throughs” in their undertakingto mend strained relation-ships between themselves

and several communities by,among other things, “(remo-ving) a lot of the sources offriction.” “I believe that if we con-tinue to deepen the relation-ship and the partnership …

between police and citizens,(and) form a broad coalitionof well-thinking citizens andgroups…ultimately, this ishow we guarantee the safetyand security of our citizens,”Mr. Bunting contended.

MORE LAND Adminis-tration and ManagementProgramme (LAMP) bene-ficiaries are to be assistedin obtaining titles, underthe Development Bank ofJamaica’s (DBJ) $90.8 mil-lion grant provision pro-gramme. Prime Minister theMost Hon. Portia SimpsonMiller says changes havebeen made to the terms ofthe Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) governingthe allocation to expandthe number of beneficiaries. The provision, for whichthe MoU was signed in2014, was previouslyonly available to 2,000landowners in St. Catherine,Manchester, Clarendon andSt. Elizabeth as well asothers experiencing chal-

lenges in completing pay-ments on their title appli-cations. Mrs. Simpson Miller,who was addressing arecent LAMP titling cere-mony in Linstead, St.Catherine, said the MoUwas found to be “a bitinflexible and so did notfully address the (benefi-ciaries’) needs.” “The DBJ, in asso-ciation with the Ministry ofWater, Land, Environment,and Climate Change, has(therefore) modified theterms of the MoU. It isnow more flexible so thatpersons can access thefinancial assistance theyneed. Access to the DBJgrant is open to all land-owners in all LAMP proj-ect parishes,” she informed.

More LAMP Beneficiariesto Access $90.8 Million Grant Assistance

THE ANGELS to Linsteadsegment of the North-South Highway in St.Catherine is now open tomotorists and commutersfor travel. This follows last week’scommissioning of the corri-dor by Prime Minister theMost Hon. Portia SimpsonMiller to join the segmentfrom Linstead to Moneaguein St. Ann, which wasopened in 2014. The road is part of aUS$720 million highwaydevelopment being under-taken between Caymanasin St. Catherine and OchoRios in St. Ann by ChinaHarbour Engineering Com-pany Limited (CHEC),which is designed toreduce travel between thenorth and south coasts byat least 45 minutes. Persons will be able touse the newly opened sectionfree of cost for a period tobe announced.

Prime Minister SimpsonMiller said the segment’s

opening represents “thedawning of a new day in

travel and economic devel-opment.” “This is an indicationof my Government’s com-mitment to modernisingJamaica. We are buildingfirst world infrastructureand providing first worldservices for the Jamaicanpeople,” she stated. Mrs. Simpson Millerreiterated that the mainobjective of the North-South Highway project isto generate opportunitiesfor economic growth andjob creation. She said “Jamaicanswill…have greater choicesof where to live, work, dobusiness and engage inrecreation.” “This, we expect, willtrigger a massive expan-sion in business, housingand planned settlementsalong the corridor of thenew highway,” the PrimeMinister pointed out.

PM Opens Angels to Linstead Leg of North-South Highway

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (3rd right)officially opens the newly completed Angels to Linsteadsegment of the North-South Highway in St. Catherine, duringthe commissioning ceremony on February 4. Also partici-pating are (from left): Ambassador of the People’s Republicof China to Jamaica, His Excellency Niu Qingbao; Mayor ofSpanish Town, Councillor Norman Scott; Angels PrimarySchool student, Kelcian Dixon; Minister with responsibilityfor Sport and Member of Parliament for North Central St.Catherine, where the road is located, Hon. Natalie NeitaHeadley; Angels Primary School student, Janelle Johnson;and Transport, Works and Housing Minister, Dr. the Hon.Omar Davies.

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (left)presents the 1,000th land title to be delivered during the2015/16 fiscal year to proud recipient Olga Green, duringthe Land Administration and Management Programme(LAMP) titling ceremony at Linstead Baptist Church inSt. Catherine.

National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting (6th left), along with members of theJamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and other community stakeholders, applauds theopening of the refurbished Negril Police Station in Westmoreland by Tourism andEntertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill (4th right). The station was renovatedat a cost of $50 million with financing from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

THE GOVERNMENT willbe deploying additionalvector control workers,equipment and supplies aspart of measures to curtailthe onset of the Zika virus(ZikV). Speaking at a mediabriefing last week, HealthMinister, Hon. HoraceDalley, said the Ministrywill be acquiring 10 addi-tional vehicles, foggers,and sprays, among otherthings, adding that “wehave called out all retiredpublic health inspectors.” He advised that field-workers will continue visitingcommunities to guidehouseholders in identifyingand destroying mosquitobreeding sites and keepingtheir surroundings clean. “We are also engagingseveral persons to becomehealth ambassadors andspread prevention mes-

sages with special empha-sis on the Zika virus,” theMinister revealed. The Government hasbudgeted $500 million forthe national ZikV pro-gramme including $200million to clean gulliesand drains. This is beingled by the Transport, Worksand Housing Ministry,under the Jamaica Emer-gency Employment Pro-gramme (JEEP). Meanwhile, Local Gov-ernment and CommunityDevelopment Minister, Hon.Noel Arscott, advised that863 persons have beentrained by the Ministry todisseminate informationregarding the Aedes aegyptimosquito which transmitsZikV, as well as to identifyand destroy mosquitobreeding sites in commu-nities across the island. They are in addition to200 young people attachedto the National YouthService (NYS), who willbe assigned to assist withthe eradication efforts. Jamaica has recordedone confirmed case of theZika virus. The patient,from Portmore, St. Catherinehas since recovered.

More Resources for ZikV Preparedness

TOURISM AND Enter-tainment Minister, Hon.Dr. Wykeham McNeill,says there are no reportedcancellations in touristbookings for the 2015/16winter season as a result ofthe global Zika virus(ZikV) outbreak.

He noted that whilethe virus has been reportedacross the region as well asin the United States, whichis Jamaica’s largest tourismmarket, there has not beenany confirmed cases oftourists cancelling theirtravel plans to the island.

“We have anecdotallyheard of persons with con-cerns, …but for now, ourarrivals are still ahead of (thecorresponding period) lastyear. We are doing well andwhat we are doing is justmonitoring it closely,” heexplained.

Dr. McNeill says theMinistry continues to workwith stakeholders in theindustry to ramp up Zik Vpreparedness measures. “We have been in touchwith the Jamaica Hoteland Tourist Association(JHTA) and all our partners.

Everyone has cometogether and we are allworking together to treatthe condition in the bestway it can be treated, andto ensure that all measuresthat should be taken arebeing taken,” he main-tained.

Prime Minister the Most Hon.Portia Simpson Miller (2nd left)presents a signed contract toSurrey Paving and AggregateCompany Limited’s ManagingDirector, Leslie Chang (right),whose firm is among severalwhich will carry out work in 10parishes under Phase Two of theAgriculture and Fisheries Min-istry’s National Farm RoadsRehabilitation Programme at acost of $182 million. Looking on(from left) are: Portfolio Minister,Hon. Derrick Kellier, and StateMinister, Hon. Luther Buchanan.The contacts were signed duringa ceremony at the Office of thePrime Minister (OPM).

PM Launches Phase Two of Farm Roads Rehabilitation

No Reported Fallout in Visitor Arrivals From ZikV

Bulletin Feb. 8, 2016.qxp_Layout 1 2/5/16 4:39 PM Page 1