Washington sought TCN transit pact, minister says, as St Andrew land titles and Montego Bay drainage plans advance

Information Minister Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon says Jamaica's third country nationals transit arrangement with the United States was requested by Washington, not launched by the Jamaican government. In a JIS ministerial update with CEO Giovanni Dennis, she said the US approached Jamaica as it did other countries, leading to negotiations that produced a memorandum of understanding, though some operational details remain unsettled. The agreed quota allows 25 individuals to be facilitated at any one time. Morris Dixon also rejected linking the programme to separate talks about recruiting skilled workers from countries including the Philippines, Ghana and Nigeria. Individuals with criminal backgrounds or criminal antecedents will not be permitted to enter or transit Jamaica under the arrangement.

Forty residents of Akie Walk and Jacon Town in St. Andrew received land titles on Thursday. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness said the move reflects a deliberate effort to recognise citizens' rights and address long-standing tenure problems in a practical way. Minister Robert Montague urged Jamaicans to take steps to secure their property and to desist from squatting.

Following devastation from Hurricane Melissa, the government is proposing a drainage plan for Catherine Hall in St. James within the wider Montego River flood control framework. Minister with responsibility for the works portfolio Robert Morgan said technical assessments show the flooding was not caused by a simple or isolated drain failure. Rainfall exceeded 350 millimetres in 24 hours, with peak intensities reaching 295 millimetres per hour. WASA found Montego River peak flows of roughly 2,132 to 2,653 cubic metres per second, consistent with a 500-year return period event, exceeding the Barnett Street Bridge design capacity by about 1,600 per cent.

Speaking at the Spring Village Bridge opening in St. Catherine, Morgan challenged claims that government under-invests in local contractors, citing about US$1.2 billion spent on infrastructure over 15 years through JDIP, MDIP and SHIP, with roughly US$700 million going to local firms.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill said approved additional cement imports and suppliers are restoring market stability after post-Melissa construction demand and setbacks at the local plant. Minister Morris Dixon said a special needs policy is set for cabinet submission soon. Grade 6 Primary Exit Profile results will be released Monday, June 22, with schools receiving them at noon and parents accessing dpisonline.com from 2:00 p.m.; support lines include 876-906-2023 and 876-632-1410.