Briefs | Mastercard setting up shop in Jamaica

Global payments and technology company Mastercard announced on Wednesday that it would be opening an office in Jamaica to deepen its Caribbean footprint.

The office is expected to be opened in the first half of 2019. Puerto Rico is also expected to benefit from a new office, while the Dominican Republic will see an expansion of its operations and will be headed by Gabriel Pascual.

“The Caribbean, part of the Latin America Central Division until now together with markets such as Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, will become a new independent division,” Mastercard said in a press statement.

“This strategic decision provides greater relevance to the Caribbean region within the company’s development plans aimed at doubling operations and earnings in the region, while giving the Caribbean business team greater decision-making power locally in areas like market investment and operation expansion.”

President of the new Caribbean Division, Marcelo Tangioni, added that “this is the next step within the division’s five-year strategy”.

Wheatley’s name stays– CMU boss

President of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Professor Fritz Pinnock, says that the work by former science, technology, energy and mining minister Dr Andrew Wheatley justifies the retention of his name for its Digital Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing Centre.

Pinnock said that Wheatley’s resignation over the ongoing Petrojam corruption scandal would not sully the value of his sterling contribution to the CMU.

“This is not about politics. This is about somebody who came and served the institution, and we have looked at that, and it’s a decision that was made,” Pinnock told The Gleaner on Wednesday.

“I have a problem with Jamaica where we are so hung up about the wrong things. We are doing a pilot project with all the ports across the Caribbean where we are now putting on a census to talk about predictive analysis. The place has great impact and potential. This is what we should be talking about. If I name it Dog or name it John, does it make a difference?”

Anxious wait for DNA test in baby abduction

Detectives are now awaiting the results of DNA tests done yesterday on both the woman held at the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) after trying to register a baby and the couple whose baby was stolen from the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) last month.

Inspector Philip Dodd, crime chief for the Kingston West Police, confirmed that the samples were collected from both parties.

“We will be asking for the process to be expedited,” Dodd told our news team.

Dodd said that the woman remains adamant that the baby belongs to her.

The month-old baby boy remains in state care pending the outcome of the investigation.