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Restaurants of Jamaica Lauded for Contributing to Economic Growth

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#Kingston, April 8, 2019 – Jamaica – Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, has lauding Restaurants of Jamaica (RoJ) for contributing to economic growth.  Her praise comes against the background of the entity’s opening of its 37th Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant, in Harbour View, which is located in the constituency.

“I must commend the team for their commitment to quality restaurant operations in Jamaica. I am encouraged to have more businesses in the constituency [as this] provides more employment. The number of locations you have expanded to throughout Jamaica has significantly contributed to what we find important… growing Jamaica,” Mrs. Holness said.

She was delivering brief remarks at the branch’s official opening on Saturday, April 6.  Mrs. Holness, who noted that the KFC franchise’s long history in Jamaica started 44 years ago with the first restaurant’s establishment at 70 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, commended the company for maintaining its “finger lickin’ good” quality.

“They have done so while responding positively to the numerous projects and goodwill, and have aided in the betterment of our country,” she said.

Managing Director of RoJ, Mark Myers, said the organisation also plans to further expand its Pizza Hut franchise.   He pointed out that the company continues to increase its support for local farmers by using their produce in each new restaurant opened.

“This investment marks our steadfast belief in Jamaica as an excellent place to do business. We continue to be in growth mode as we expand our business and locations to create more employment opportunities and build deeper ties to the communities we serve,” he said.

The opening of KFC Harbour View represents an investment of approximately $200 million, and brings the total number of restaurants operated by RoJ to 48.

Its opening has created 55 new jobs for individuals from the surrounding communities, which brings the total number of persons employed across the RoJ group to over 2,000.

The Harbour View location is the second of four KFC restaurants being opened as part of the company’s Vision 2020 expansion plans, following the Falmouth branch’s opening last December.

Ground has already been broken for the third restaurant, which will be located in May Pen, Clarendon.  In addition to serving customers from Harbour View and surrounding communities,     Mr. Myers anticipates that the new restaurant will also appeal to overseas travellers, given its proximity to the Norman Manley International Airport.

Contact: Rochelle Williams

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness (second left), officially opens the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)  Harbour View branch, on Saturday (April 6). Sharing the occasion are:  Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (second right), and (from left) Restaurants of Jamaica (RoJ) Managing Director, Mark Myers, and Marketing Director, Tina Matalon (right).

Yhomo Hutchinson Photo

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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