Whatever might be your political orientation, a strong People’s National Party (PNP) is indispensable for the preservation of our democracy. At a minimum, it gives legitimacy to the government as representing the will of the people at a time when...
The uptick in political activities reminds me that politics has some of the hallmarks of a religion. Some people ‘worship’ politicians, expect them to provide their ‘daily bread’, and perform miracles in their lives. Some politicians appear...
Published:Saturday | September 16, 2023 | 12:07 AM
The plan by Spanish-based Princess hotel chain to build 600 homes for its workers as it enters the Jamaican market is a welcome signal that the economic role of proper housing in a growing economy has been recognised by this investor. Princess,...
Published:Saturday | September 16, 2023 | 12:05 AM
I thought of my Dominican friend, colleague and boss at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Donald Peters, and given the number of marriages, ladies and phone that took up his days and nights, I gave him the nickname ‘One and Don’. In a way,...
Published:Saturday | September 16, 2023 | 12:05 AM
On September 11 in Hamburg, Germany, a significant legal proceeding began that could redefine the parameters of climate justice for small island states. This case, slated to run until September 25, will unfold at the International Tribunal of the...
The Integrity Commission’s (IC) recommendation for a 243 per cent rise, to J$12 million, in the salary threshold for government employees to file annual assets and liabilities reports is, intuitively, a sensible ask. It should, in the face of...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a topical issue since the official launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. The implications of artificial intelligence, if used in the right context, can support and change the education sector for good. Through...
“Give us vision lest we perish”, powerful words in our National Anthem penned by Jamaican Methodist minister and patriot Father Hugh Sherlock. Think ahead 30 years; dare we think ahead 30 years? Use your 2070 vision: how will most Jamaicans get...
Published:Thursday | September 14, 2023 | 12:07 AM
I DIDN’T grow up with much. But to say I grew up poor would be an exaggeration. During my primary-school years, I think it’s fair to say that my family had just enough. The fridge may not have been stacked from top to bottom with bottles of soda,...
Published:Thursday | September 14, 2023 | 12:06 AM
It is right to empathise with head teachers who fret at the thought of students coming to their institutions with knapsacks emblazoned with the word ‘Dunce’, which, on its face, is at variance with the ethos of education and the business of schools...
Published:Thursday | September 14, 2023 | 12:06 AM
I ARRIVED at the Tax Administration Jamaica’s (TAJ) office at 8.15 a.m. and was greeted with a long line stretching out to the road in the blazing morning sun. On approaching the line, a voice called out to me, “This way sir,” and proceeded to give...
Published:Wednesday | September 13, 2023 | 12:07 AM
The People’s National Party (PNP) is not the only one peeved at the Government’s lukewarm engagement of the public about the constitutional reform project. So, too, like many other people, is Nadeen Spence, who chairs the public engagement...
Published:Wednesday | September 13, 2023 | 12:07 AM
India has been in the news over the past few weeks because of the BRICS Summit in August and the G20 Summit hosted last week in New Delhi. India’s importance in international trade and its political influence is increasing. In researching the G20...
Published:Wednesday | September 13, 2023 | 12:07 AM
For months, discussions on constitutional reform have concentrated on the structure a reorganised government would take. While many are attracted to the allure of a US-style presidential system, I am not. I would even argue that attempting to...
After teaching in England for over 19 years, at more than 40 schools, I have had the time to reflect on my journey as an educator. I came over to England from Germany in 2004 after doing a brief stint as a lawyer in Jamaica in 2003. I was eager to...
The three-ring circus at Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) continues with Nigel Clarke as Ringmaster. Let’s refresh. FSC flagged SSL six plus years ago for “a culture of noncompliance and mismanagement of client funds”. FSC threatened to suspend...
When it comes to wisdom, political or otherwise, it is increasingly irrefutable that Dayton Campbell, the general secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP), is caught in an evolutionary cul-de-sac. What is worse is not that Dr Campbell is...
“We want to live like you in Kingston 6,” she said. “What about the big money civil servants just got”? Her tone turned dark at my question. “Is people like you get the big money. Just like what happened after slavery,” she snapped. “People like me...
It was refreshing that the government quickly warned potential users that scammers had mirrored its new online immigration management system and were charging travellers to upload information when the service is supposed to be free. The urgency...
Shill bidding is a tactic that involves individuals or organisations posing as impartial supporters of a project or idea in order to influence decision-making. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as submitting fake letters of support,...
While Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) was a relatively small financial services firm, representing less than 0.7 per cent of total financial sector assets, its demise, the related investigations, and the public reaction hold disproportionately...
There have been mumblings and rumblings about Jamaica eventually becoming a cashless society. This is not about cryptocurrency (which is a virtual currency). This is about conducting financial transactions with digital information instead of paper...
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the tongue is even more powerful because it has brought down empires, many a great man, and locally, has caused scores of politicians to fall from grace faster than the saliva that is generated from its...
One of the most memorable moments of the enquiry into the 2010 Tivoli Incursion was when a former minister of government stated publicly that they did not read the newspapers or watch the news because it was simply too disturbing. Many were...
Leighton Johnson’s call for a review of how Jamaica finance its education infrastructure is of merit. Such an assessment, however, shouldn’t be a stand-alone inquiry, but part of a deeper analysis of the state of education in Jamaica, using as...
