Government sets aside $25 billion for SPARK roads in weekend Jamaica roundup

A J$25 billion allocation for 37 priority roads under the main-road arm of the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement Programme, or SPARK, topped Friday's weekend bulletin. The works, unveiled on Thursday at Jamaica House, cover about 170 kilometres across 11 parishes. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the programme is meant to improve critical infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion and support economic activity, adding that planning and other preparatory works are just as important as the physical construction.

The corridors selected for rehabilitation are in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, Trelawny, St Ann, St Mary, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland. Holness said some projects will require significant engineering solutions. Works Minister Robert Morgan described SPARK as a full-scale rehabilitation effort and said the road list was built from data on connectivity, accessibility, mobility, safety and resilience, after consultations involving communities, business interests, civic groups, neighbourhood watch members and the police. He said 630 roads were identified, but only some will be done in the first phase. The Jamaica Urban Transit Company also announced that Sunday operations on Route 512 between Mandeville and downtown Kingston will end on July 5 after a review found consistently low demand, with some trips carrying as few as two passengers.

Among the other local items, the High Commission of Canada in Jamaica hosted a celebration marking 159 years since Canada Day, with officials highlighting trade, education, tourism and cultural ties between the two countries. Canada described Jamaica as its most significant bilateral partner in the English-speaking Caribbean and said more than 300,000 Canadians are of Jamaican origin. Speakers also pointed to diplomatic relations dating back to August 1962, and one appeal was made for 5,000 more Jamaicans to be included in a farm work programme. A separate street interview on stress management heard participants cite nature, reading, music, gaming, prayer and talks with trusted friends as coping tools.

In business news, the Bank of Jamaica said net remittance inflows fell 0.8 per cent, or US$2.3 million, in April. The central bank said a 0.5 per cent fall in inflows and a 5.1 per cent rise in outflows reversed the 2.6 per cent increase recorded in April last year, while the United States remained the largest source with about 69 per cent of inflows. Andrea Livingston Price of the rural incubator SEED said hurricane-season resilience has become a way of life for farmers in cooperatives, with business continuity planning, deliberate farming techniques and response systems all playing a part. The trading report said Supreme Ventures, TransJamaican Highway and Kingston Wharves were the most active stocks on July 2, while BOJ foreign exchange figures showed steady demand across the main currencies. The segment also carried a credit tip urging couples to discuss their money history, values, mistakes and long-term goals.

Regionally, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank marked 50 years of the EC dollar's fixed exchange rate at EC$2.70 to US$1 with a July 1 panel discussion in St Kitts and Nevis featuring Governor Timothy N. J. Antoine, former board director Roseman Edwards, CARICOM's Dr Wendell Samuel and youth representative Alria Antoine. Officials credited the peg with helping to sustain price stability, investor confidence and resilience across the currency union. In St Lucia, health authorities said Ebola risk remains low but strengthened port surveillance, expanded testing, imposed 21-day home quarantine for travellers arriving from high-risk regions, and identified a 15-room isolation ward and a 12-bed management ward. In sport, Minister Olivia Grange announced a National Sports Advisory Council and a National Sports Commission to strengthen policy, coordination and oversight. In football, Spain beat Austria 3-0, Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 and Switzerland overcame Algeria 2-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup round of 16, setting up Spain versus Portugal and leaving Switzerland to meet the winner of Colombia versus Ghana.