Senate passes conch levy and dairy board amendments at Kingston sitting

Jamaica’s Senate on May 22, 2026, approved amendments to the Conch Export Levy Act and the Jamaica Dairy Development Board Act during a sitting that also touched on parliamentary procedure, national remembrance and Workers’ Week.

At the start of the sitting, Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson advised members that the chamber’s central air-conditioning system was faulty and welcomed 28 students, six teachers and one parent from Grand Comenius Prep in Mandeville. He also reflected on a ceremony at National Heroes Park marking a national day of remembrance for 157 women who died in the May 20, 1980 fire at the Evening Tide Home.

The Senate tabled several reports and papers, including Financial Services Commission and Electoral Commission of Jamaica reports, Auditor General material on Hurricane Melissa relief and RADA’s production incentive programme, a National Youth in Agriculture Policy green paper, a Labour Ministry report and multiple Integrity Commission reports on alleged failure by public officers to file 2023 statutory declarations.

Responding to Senator Lambert Brown, Tavares-Finson confirmed that an Integrity Commission report on the Firearm Licensing Authority, received on March 30, had not been tabled. He said the decision was taken by the presiding officers after legal consultation because court proceedings seeking non-disclosure were before the courts, and added that the position would remain under review.

The Conch Export Levy Amendment Act, 2026, was passed without amendment. Minister Aubyn Hill said it would allow the minister to set or extend the payment period for conch levies, permit instalments, waive or reduce levies in specified cases, and adjust the board managing the Fisheries Management and Development Fund.

The Jamaica Dairy Development Board Amendment Act, 2026, also passed without amendment after debate. The law expands the definition of milk beyond cows, lowers the milk-solid threshold for regulated dairy products from 50 per cent to 5 per cent, and revises the board’s composition. An opposition proposal to narrow the wording around approved dairy animals was defeated.

On the adjournment, Senator Kavan Gayle used Workers’ Week to call for renewed protection of workers and the return of occupational safety and health legislation. Brown supported the tribute to workers, singled out domestic workers and caregivers, and urged ratification of ILO Convention 158 on termination of employment.