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JAMAICA: JISCO/Alpart giving back to communities

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#Montego Bay, November 1, 2018 – Jamaica – The Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO)/Alpart bauxite company, located in Nain, St. Elizabeth, is giving back to the various communities in which it operates.

Public Relations Officer, Julian Keane, tells JIS News that the company supports more than 70 districts in St. Elizabeth and Manchester through education, sports, healthcare, agriculture, and general community development.

“We have our mining operations that go through various communities – our conveyor system that takes the bauxite to the refinery here (in Nain)… our rail line and our port, so that’s why we are heavily involved in community development,” Mr. Keane notes.

He says the company believes that it is important to give back, which is why it undertakes programmes that benefit the communities in which its operations are located.

“It [community development programme] is basically a continuation of what we did in the past… . Since JISCO/Alpart took over in (June 2017), we have continued with a number of community programmes, and we have expanded them,” he notes.

In highlighting the support, he informs that some 1,800 students at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels benefited from over $13 million in scholarships for the new academic year in September.

The assistance was provided through the two community councils – Alpart Community Council (ACC), which serves St. Elizabeth; and the Manchester Plateau Community Council.

In addition to the back-to-school assistance, Mr. Keane says that the plant “continues to work with over 40 primary schools that are involved in our safety programmes. We have schools also participating in sporting activities and quiz competitions, and we also give assistance to farmers in our area”.

Mr. Keane says that opportunity is also provided for semi-skilled and unskilled persons to gain employment.

“Apart from the over 700 direct employees, we have approximately 500 persons from the communities, who are rotated through a programme [led by the] Essex Valley Community and Associates (EVCA) via the Alpart Community Council. What that does is, it provides employment for persons in the direct operating areas, and the profit that the community council gets from that is channeled back into community projects,” Mr. Keane explained.

Sewage plant operator at JISCO/Alpart, Monaire Maitland, who is a beneficiary of the programme, says “it is good working here”.

“You learn a lot of things… even plumbing, and other skills. By moving around with persons here with those skill sets, you learn a lot. I would love to [work] here for a lifetime. You can work here and make a life; (the company) is like a university,” he expresses.

Mr. Maitland also lauds the company’s work atmosphere, stating that “coworkers encourage you while you are working, and look out for each other.” Mr. Maitland also highlighted the company’s strict safety guidelines, which he says he finds admirable.

Small business personnel, who operate within the vicinity of the JISCO/Alpart head office in Nain also praise the company as they have seen increased profits since the reopening last year.

Higgler, Tashee French, who has been selling in close proximity to the office for the past five years, said “Alpart (reopening) has helped me a lot because sales, as well as our children’s attendance to school, have improved. Before (they reopened) sales and everything was very slow”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Keane also tells JIS News that the company will be expanding its production capacity as it looks to move to two million tons of alumina in the near future.

“We are also looking at moving from heavy fuel oil to liquefied natural gas in terms of the energy that will drive the operations here at JISCO/Alpart,” he says.

The company will also expand its shipping port in order to accommodate larger vessels, which will take alumina to other countries.

“Right now, we can only accommodate up to 35,000 tons in terms of vessels, and we are looking to increase that,” Mr. Keane explains.

JISCO also plans to invest billions to develop the Jamaica-Gansu Industrial Park and Special Economic Zone, which is expected to, among other things, generate tens of thousands of jobs for Jamaican.

The reopening of JISCO/Alpart in 2017 has contributed to an upturn in the bauxite industry, with 15 per cent growth recorded in the mining sector for the October to December 2017 quarter.

 

Release: JIS

By: Serena Grant

Photo Captions: 

Header: A section of the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO)/Alpart Jamaica plant in Nain, St. Elizabeth.

Insert: Public Relations Officer of Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO)/Alpart Jamaica, Julian Keane.

 

 

 

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Caribbean News

Widow’s Testimony Recounts Night Haiti President Was Killed

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MIAMI, Florida — Emotional testimony from Martine Moïse, the widow of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, has given jurors in a U.S. federal courtroom a chilling account of the night gunmen stormed the presidential residence and killed the country’s leader.

Martine Moïse took the stand this week in Miami as part of the ongoing trial of several men accused of helping plan and finance the July 7, 2021 assassination, a crime that plunged Haiti into political crisis and remains only partially solved.

She told the court that armed men forced their way into the president’s private home in the hills above Port-au-Prince during the early morning hours, firing multiple shots at her husband while she lay beside him. She testified that she was also wounded in the attack and survived by pretending to be dead until the gunmen left the room.

According to prosecutors, the plot involved a group of foreign mercenaries, including former Colombian soldiers, along with Haitian and Haitian-American suspects. Investigators say some of the men believed the mission was to detain the president, but the operation turned into an assassination.

The Miami trial is focusing on the alleged role of South Florida businessmen and others accused of organizing or financing the plan, part of a wider international investigation that has stretched across several countries.

More than four years after the killing, the question of who ultimately ordered the assassination remains unanswered, with suspects still in custody in both Haiti and the United States as the case continues to unfold.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Jamaica Joins Afreximbank Agreement, Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Partnership

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CARIBBEAN — Jamaica has become the 13th CARICOM member state to accede to the African Export-Import Bank Establishment Agreement, further strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

The development was confirmed during the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, where an Afreximbank delegation led by George Elombi and Kanayo Awani met with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness to advance cooperation.

Prime Minister Holness thanked the bank for its support following Jamaica’s recent hurricane, noting that Afreximbank financing helped restore critical infrastructure including water, electricity, sewage systems and roads, while also assisting reconstruction efforts aimed at building stronger resilience to future disasters.

The meeting also focused on broader development opportunities tied to Jamaica’s membership in the agreement. Discussions included rebuilding and modernising infrastructure such as railways, hospitals and other public facilities, while strengthening regional transportation and trade networks to improve the movement of people and goods across the Caribbean.

Afreximbank has been expanding its presence in the Caribbean as part of its strategy to connect Africa with the region often referred to as “Global Africa.” The bank has already committed billions of dollars in financing and trade support to Caribbean economies in recent years, including funding for infrastructure, trade facilitation and private sector investment.

By joining the agreement, Jamaica gains expanded access to Afreximbank’s financial instruments, technical support and trade networks designed to promote commerce between Africa and CARICOM states.

Regional leaders say the growing partnership could unlock new opportunities in areas such as trade, logistics, tourism, manufacturing and cultural exchange, strengthening economic cooperation between the two regions with deep historical and diaspora ties.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Liberty Caribbean Supports Regional Forum on AI, Cyber Resilience and Digital Inclusion  

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Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (February 24, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow, Liberty Business and BTC, recently served as Gold-Level Partner of the two-day Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF), themed “The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience”.

The Digital Divide is of particular interest to Liberty Caribbean and is being addressed through its Charitable Foundation across the region. Low broadband penetration in the Caribbean contributes to diminished opportunities for individuals, communities, and local economies, but with the support of funding partners, this gap can be addressed through a comprehensive programme – JUMP – that focuses on providing access, devices, and digital skills.

“Liberty Caribbean was proud to serve as Gold-Level Partner of the TTIGF because the conversations taking place here shape key digital policies for multiple stakeholders,” said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad.

“As technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, we must ensure that innovation strengthens our societies rather than fragments them. The theme, ‘The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience,’ speaks directly to the work we do every day: building networks that are not only fast and reliable, but secure, inclusive and future-ready.”

Across the Caribbean, the digital divide remains one of the most pressing barriers to equitable growth. Low broadband penetration limits access to education, entrepreneurship and essential services, and that is why we are deeply committed to closing this gap.

Through the Liberty Caribbean Charitable Foundation and initiatives like the JUMP Programme, the company is expanding access to technology, affordable connectivity and digital skills training so that individuals and communities are empowered to participate fully in the digital economy.

Martin-Sulgan further stated “at Liberty Caribbean, we believe progress and responsibility must move in lock step. By investing in resilient networks, inclusive programmes and trusted partnerships, we are helping to build a Caribbean that is innovative, secure and prepared for the opportunities ahead.”

Topics covered during the Forum, with over 140 participants, included “Securing Critical Infrastructure”, Integrating AI into Digital Transformation”, “The Digital Divide”, The Human Cost of Innovation – Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age’, and AI, Cyber Resilience and Regional Innovation”.

Focused on the underlying mandate of the Conference theme thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders were invited to explore how countries can evolve boldly without compromising values or long-term stability.

Photo Caption: 

TTIGF – l-r Darren Campo, Regulatory & Compliance Officer; Yolande Agard-Simmons, Senior Manager Communications; and Kevon Swift, Senior Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs of Flow Trinidad in attendance at the Post Event Mixer at Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Head Office in St Clair, Port of Spain

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