Business

UDC Sets Aside $1.21 Billion for New Head Office Land in 2026-27 Budget

Jamaica’s Urban Development Corporation has put $1.21 billion in its new budget to secure land for a head office, but has not named the site. The allocation sits inside a $5.47-billion capital programme that started in April 2026.

Kingston Wirtschaft

JISvor 13 Std.

Gov’t Strengthening Manufacturing

Businesses involved in manufacturing are being encouraged to leverage targeted incentives being provided by the Government to increase capital investments in advanced tools and infrastructure and drive operational competitiveness. Speaking during a tour of the Sanmerna Paper Products factory on Ashenheim Road in Kingston on Wednesday (May 6), State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon

Kingston Wirtschaft

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Small Businesses Encouraged to Register with COJ to Access Benefits

Small businessowners whose operations are not yet registered with the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) are being encouraged to complete registration in order to access benefits provided by the Government. This call comes from Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) Second Vice President, Dennise Williams, who also emphasises the need for a review of the regulatory compliance framework governing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to register

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JISvor 13 Std.

JDDB Supporting Small Dairy Farmers with Shelter Solutions

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, through the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB), has been extending support to small cattle farmers by providing shelter solutions for their animals. “There is a drive to ensure that what we call ‘cow comfort’ is taken into account in the design of the modern dairy… to ensure that the cows are [kept] cool

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Shipping firms punished over Strait of Hormuz impasse

With hundreds of vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf and costs piling up, shipping companies are being whipsawed by uncertainty over how and when the Strait of Hormuz might reopen more than two months into the Iran war.On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced "Project Freedom," a way for the US to "guide" ships to exit the strait. Two ships made the transit, but by Tuesday Trump abruptly paused the effort to allow time for a deal to end the war.Meanwhile, the risks for ships and crew haven't faded

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Middle Managers Charged to Embrace Responsibility and Courage As Leaders

Middle Managers Charged to Embrace Responsibility and Courage As Leaders By: Garfield L. Angus, May 6, 2026 Listen Industry Share Photo: Mark Bell Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon

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Business Leaders Urged to Capitalise on Jamaica’s Strong Macroeconomic Position

Business Leaders Urged to Capitalise on Jamaica’s Strong Macroeconomic Position By: Judana Murphy, May 6, 2026 Listen Investment Share Photo: Donald De La Haye Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, delivers the keynote address during the Impact Leadership Summit National CEO Strategy Forum, held at AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Tuesday (May 5)

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Government Provides 100,000 Baby Chicks to Farmers

Government Provides 100,000 Baby Chicks to Farmers By: Okoye Henry, May 6, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share Photo: Okoye Henry Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the Comeback Coops initiative in the Parottee community in St

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Jamaica and India Celebrate Enduring Bilateral Partnership

Jamaica and India Celebrate Enduring Bilateral Partnership By: Vanessa James, May 6, 2026 Listen Foreign Affairs Share Photo: Danielle Myers Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill (second right), shares a photo opportunity with the Republic of India's Minister of External Affairs, His Excellency Dr

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Spur Tree Spices plans ackee orchard to strengthen supply

Spur Tree Spices Limited is planting roughly 3,000 ackee trees to secure its own supply of the fruit, as demand from overseas markets outpaces what its current suppliers can deliver, CEO Albert Bailey told the Financial Gleaner."Right now, the demand for ackee far outstrips the supply," Bailey said. "We're expecting that somewhere in the region of July to September, we'll see a very good ackee crop.”He said that Hurricane Melissa last October reduced production, but normality should return “within three months”.The company is establishing an ackee orchard of between 60 and 75 acres through one of its two ackee-producing subsidiaries

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GraceKennedy Guyana Remittance Arm Challenges J$403-Million Tax Assessment

GraceKennedy's Guyana remittance subsidiary is contesting a J$402.6-million tax bill covering 2022 to 2024, marking the third time the Guyana Revenue Authority has reclassified the company as commercial.

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OpenAI president discloses his $30b stake in the company

Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president and Chief Executive Sam Altman's top lieutenant, disclosed in court on Monday that his stake in the artificial intelligence company is worth nearly US$30 billion.Brockman, who also said he did not personally invest any money in OpenAI, was testifying on Monday in the trial that centres on the company's 2015 founding as a non-profit start-up, primarily funded by Elon Musk, before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at US$852 billion.Brockman's disclosure would put him on the Forbes list of the world's richest people, with wealth comparable to Melinda French Gates.The civil lawsuit accuses Altman and Brockman of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company's founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind Musk's back.Late Sunday, OpenAI lawyers tried to admit as evidence a text message Musk sent to Brockman two days before the trial began

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Roomba pioneer aims to crack the household market again with an AI-powered pet robot

The robotics pioneer who helped unleash the Roomba vacuum is now betting that you might one day replace your beloved dog or cat with a plush robot that follows you around your home and adapts to your daily habits.Colin Angle unveiled a four-legged prototype of that artificial pet, called the Familiar, on Monday. Imagine a creature the size of a bulldog with doe-like eyes and bear cub ears and paws, extending itself into a greeting stretch that invites you to pat its touch-sensitive fake fur."We chose a form factor that's not a human, not a dog, not a cat, because we wanted to steer away from all of those preconceptions," said Angle, who leads the start-up Familiar Machines & Magic and before that was long-time chief executive of Roomba maker iRobot.This kind of lifelike machine — powered by the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology — would not have been possible when Angle co-founded iRobot in 1990 or launched the first Roomba in 2002.It's hardly the first effort to build a pet-like household robot

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CAC 2000 turns to debt refinancing as losses deepen on sharply lower revenues

Cac 2000 Limited is pursuing debt refinancing to stabilise its working capital position as losses deepen on sharply lower revenues, underscoring persistent liquidity challenges at the air-conditioning contractor.For the three months ended January 2026, CAC 2000 posted revenue of $81.5 million, a 57 per cent decline from $190.4 million in the corresponding period a year earlier, while recording a net loss of $80.9 million, compared with a $58.6-million loss in the same quarter of the prior year. The quarterly results follow a difficult full year in which the company posted a net loss of $176.2 million for the year ended October 2025 against a profit of $22.3 million the year before, as annual revenues fell to $753.5 million from $1.2 billion.CEO Gia Abraham acknowledged the downturn but attributed it to liquidity constraints rather than weak demand

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Pennsylvania sues AI company, saying its chatbots illegally hold themselves out as licensed doctors

The US state of Pennsylvania has sued an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot maker, saying its chatbots illegally hold themselves out as doctors and are deceiving the system's users into thinking they are getting medical advice from a licensed professional.The lawsuit, filed Friday, asks the statewide Commonwealth Court to order Character Technologies Inc., the company behind Character.AI, to stop its chatbots "from engaging in the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery."Governor Josh Shapiro's administration called it a "first of its kind enforcement action" by a governor and it comes amid growing pressure by states on tech companies to rein in how its chatbots communicate with children. That includes a lawsuit filed by Kentucky in January against Character Technologies.Pennsylvania's lawsuit said an investigator from the state agency that licences professionals created an account on Character.AI, searched on the word "psychiatry" and found a large number of characters, including one described as a "doctor of psychiatry." That character held itself out as able to assess the investigator "as a doctor" who is licenced in Pennsylvania, the lawsuit said."Pennsylvanians deserve to know who — or what — they are interacting with online, especially when it comes to their health," Governor Josh Shapiro said in a statement

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Former Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston Set for June 3 Auction

The four-acre Ruthven Road property, rebranded Summit after its 2022 sale to Novamed for around US$40 million, is slated for auction at Allison Pitter & Company's Tremaine Road offices on June 3.

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COJ Deepens Digital Integration with Key Government Agencies

Coj Deepens Digital Integration with Key Government Agencies By: Sherika Williams, May 5, 2026 Listen Commerce Share Photo: Adrian Walker Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Companies Office of Jamaica, Shellie Leon, addresses a recent JIS 'Think Tank', where she outlined ongoing digital integration initiatives with key government agencies, aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing data accuracy, and speeding up business approvals. The Full Story In a move to speed up approvals, enhance data accuracy, and reduce manual document processing for businesses, the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is deepening its digital integration with key government agencies, including Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ)

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Jamaica, Atlanta Officials Hold High-Level Talks on Trade, Investment and Culture

Jamaica, Atlanta Officials Hold High-Level Talks on Trade, Investment and Culture By: Embassy of Jamaica Washington, D.C., May 5, 2026 Listen Investment Share Photo: Derrick Scott Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson (right), greets Atlanta Mayor, André Dickens, upon arrival at the Buckhead Club in Atlanta on Sunday (May 3) for talks on deepening the Atlanta–Jamaica relationship in investment, trade and culture. Photo: Derrick Scott Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson (right), makes a presentation to Atlanta Mayor, André Dickens, during a meeting at the Buckhead Club in Atlanta on Sunday (May 3), for talks on deepening the Atlanta–Jamaica relationship in investment, trade, and culture

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PHOTOS: JBI Donates 100 Knapsack Sprayers to Manchester Farmers

Photos: JBI Donates 100 Knapsack Sprayers to Manchester Farmers May 5, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share EmailWhatsAppXFacebook Photo: ADRIAN WALKER Project Coordinator for the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) Bauxite Community Development Programme, Amanda Thelwell (front row left), and Senior Project Officer, Wesley Harley (right), are flanked by farmers from Manchester who have benefited from the donation of 100 knapsack sprayers. The presentation took place at Bethabra Moravian Church in Manchester on Thursday (April 30)

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PHOTOS: East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists Stewardship Expo

Photos: East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists Stewardship Expo May 5, 2026 Listen Commerce Share Photo: DANIELLE MYERS State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Delano Seiveright (seated centre), converses with President of the East Jamaica Conference (EJC) of Seventh-day Adventists, Dr

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GameStop's Ryan Cohen launches US$56-billion takeover bid for eBay

Ryan Cohen's GameStop has tabled a roughly US$56-billion offer to acquire eBay, pitching the combined firm as a credible challenger to Amazon in the online retail arena.

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Farmers Urged to Insure Their Properties

Farmers Urged to Insure Their Properties By: Serena Grant, May 4, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share The Full Story Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, is urging farmers to take proactive steps to safeguard their livelihoods, particularly through the uptake of agricultural insurance

St. James Wirtschaft

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Tourism Ministry Finalising Arrangements to Enter Indian Market

Tourism Ministry Finalising Arrangements to Enter Indian Market By: Judana Murphy, May 4, 2026 Listen Tourism Share Photo: Mark Bell Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (left), and Minister of Tourism, Hon

St. Catherine Wirtschaft

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Government to Establish Pension Scheme for Farmers

Government to Establish Pension Scheme for Farmers By: Serena Grant, May 4, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share Photo: Serena Grant Farmers and other stakeholders take advantage of the services available during the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining's ‘Thank-A-Farmer’ Wellness Fair, held at Harmony Beach Park in St. James on April 30

St. James Wirtschaft

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Gov’t Focused on Modernising Agricultural Sector

Gov’t Focused on Modernising Agricultural Sector By: Garfield L. Angus, May 4, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon

Manchester Wirtschaft

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Small Poultry Farmers In Parottee Receive Rebuilding Assistance

Small Poultry Farmers In Parottee Receive Rebuilding Assistance By: Okoye Henry, May 4, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share Photo: Okoye Henry Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right), shares a moment with beneficiaries under the Comeback Coops initiative in Parottee, St

St. Elizabeth Wirtschaft

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New Seed And Nursery Certification Unit Opens At Bodles

New Seed And Nursery Certification Unit Opens At Bodles By: Garfield L. Angus, May 4, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share Photo: Dave Reid Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon

St. Catherine Wirtschaft

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Farmers Urged to Treat Agriculture as a Business

Farmers Urged to Treat Agriculture as a Business By: GARFIELD ANGUS, May 3, 2026 Listen Agriculture Share (Profit 1) Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, delivers the keynote address at the Caribbean Chemicals Forum 2026 on Wednesday (April 29), at the Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Manchester

Manchester Wirtschaft

JISvor 6 Tagen

P4 Division of DBJ Commended for Contribution to National Development

P4 Division of DBJ Commended for Contribution to National Development By: Donique Weston, May 1, 2026 Listen Development Share Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Audrey Sewell (right, seated); and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), Dr

Kingston Wirtschaft

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COJ Strengthens Digital Infrastructure

Coj Strengthens Digital Infrastructure By: Sherika Williams, May 1, 2026 Listen Commerce Share Photo: Adrian WalkerChief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Companies Office of Jamaica, Shellie Leon, addresses a recent JIS 'Think Tank', sharing information on changes being made to strengthen data security and improve the agency’s online service platform. The Full Story The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is strengthening its digital infrastructure through a series of platform upgrades, aimed at enhancing data security and protecting customer information

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