Jamaica-Ghana cooperation, Melissa housing response and Derrimon suspension lead PBC weekend news

Jamaica and Ghana have revived high-level cooperation following the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation in Accra, the first such meeting in 21 years. Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said the talks produced agreements across health, defence, trade, air services, culture, sports and education, while creating new openings for investment and business links.

The outcomes include plans to recruit Ghanaian health-care workers, expand health cooperation, and deepen defence collaboration in maritime security, cyber defence, transnational threats and disaster response. Johnson Smith said both countries will also work to advance the 2018 bilateral air services agreement, with direct Kingston-Accra connections under examination.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said another 300 container housing units were due to arrive in Jamaica as part of the Hurricane Melissa recovery. He said the National Housing Trust spent more than US$29 million to buy 2,500 semi-permanent modular units, with 1,200 already on the island and the remaining 1,000 expected by July. He said residents of Parity will be relocated through a process involving consultation and coordination among the NHT, Urban Development Corporation, St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation and National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority.

Opposition justice spokesperson Zuleika Jess raised alarm over court conditions in western Jamaica after Melissa, criticising Justice Minister Delroy Chuck over facilities in St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. She also cited court-security concerns in Santa Cruz and said Westmoreland Parish Court’s closure has forced residents to travel to Lucea.

In business, the Jamaica Stock Exchange suspended trading in Derrimon Trading Limited after its 2025 audited financial statements became 92 days late on June 2. FosRich reported a first-quarter net loss of $178.8 million for the period ended March 31, 2026, and CEO Cecil Foster outlined a turnaround plan including asset sale-and-leaseback arrangements, a superstore opening by the third quarter, inventory cuts, tighter spending and property-development partnerships.

Regional items included Caribbean Development Bank discussions in Nassau on economic shocks, climate threats and project delays; Turks and Caicos certification for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B; and Barbados-Canada talks led by Prime Minister Mia Mottley in Toronto. In sports, Cricket West Indies offered women free general-stand admission at Sabina Park for the June 6 ODI between West Indies and Sri Lanka.