Jamaica

Jamaica lost 2 places in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, 16 since 2020; Opposition People’s National Party says this reflects the growing mistrust between government officials and the press, and an increasingly autocratic posture by the administration

The old cotton banknotes -$5000, $1000, $500, $100, $50 denominations- will no longer be legal tender starting 1 July 2025; though the banknotes won't be used for transactions, the Bank of Jamaica will continue to redeem them for face value indefinitely

The Norwood Community in Norwood, St James, celebrates zero murders in 2024, an achievement for the once violence-plagued community that was declared a Zone of Special Operations in June 2021

Students in rural areas will begin to benefit from a dedicated system of 60 school buses starting in September 2025; the first phase of the project is already underway, with Jamaica Urban Transit Company expanding services in several areas

A call for a resilient regulatory framework to ensure the security of sensitive data and the overall integrity of the tourism sector came from Dr Yonique Campbell, expert at UWI, who also said the State should ensure the best and most effective measures

The Jamaica Fire Brigade has urged people to adopt the habit of closing bedroom doors while sleeping, stating that this practice can increase the chances of survival and reduce the spread of fires

The parliamentary year 2025/2026 began on Thursday, 13 February 2025, with the traditional opening ceremony of Parliament at Gordon House

Before the end of the fiscal year 2024/25,work is scheduled to begin on 100 roads under the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network programme

Some 2.500 residents of several communities in southern Trelawny will have more reliable access to drinking water with the current project undertaken by the National Water Commission

The Amity Hall Agro Park coconut growers group received essential material, such as seedlings, fertiliser and spraying trays, delivered by the Agro-Investment Corporation, in collaboration with the Coconut Industry Board

A total of 14.434 Jamaicans were placed abroad in 2024 under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's Overseas Employment Programme; 57% went to Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme

Notable increases in arrests and seizure are the result of tackling praedial larceny - theft of agri produce or livestock from farms or land -, an issue in many rural communities that causes losses to farmers and disrupts local food supply chains

Jamaica now ranks first in the Caribbean for the collection of plastic bottles for recycling; the local collection rate of plastic for recycling is over 40% and the country aims to reach the standard rate of 70% collection per month