Holness accepts Esri geospatial award as Cabinet advances school funding and JPS outage review

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has accepted the 2026 Esri Presidential Award recognising Jamaica’s work to build an integrated national geospatial infrastructure and apply geographic information systems to data-driven governance. The honour was presented Monday at Esri’s 2026 User Conference in San Diego, California.

Holness said he accepted the recognition on behalf of Jamaicans, public officers, emergency responders, GIS professionals, community volunteers, international partners and the diaspora. He stressed that GIS proved critical after Hurricane Melissa, giving aid partners a shared operating picture of where need was greatest. Dashboards tracked shelters, blocked roads and damaged buildings in real time, while a satellite assessment classified more than 960 buildings within days. He said the capability rested on years of investment, training and collaboration, not chance.

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon announced that funding for all public schools will rise by an average of 55% for the coming school year, with larger increases for primary and special-needs institutions. The allocation consolidates existing grants, topped up with further sums, into one operational grant that schools may use under ministry guidance: 25% for administration, 20% for repairs and maintenance, 30% for teaching and learning, 15% for STEAM and TVET, and 10% for student welfare. Distribution has begun, with a first 30% tranche paid in the second week of June; a second 15% tranche is due in September and a third 20% in December, bringing first-term disbursement to 65%.

Separately, Energy, Transport and Telecommunications Minister Daryl Vaz said the government and the Office of Utilities Regulation are jointly reviewing Jamaica Public Service Company’s investigative report on the June 5 islandwide blackout. JPS linked the outage to intense lightning; it collapsed the national grid and disrupted homes, businesses and essential services for several hours. An inter-ministerial team backed by technical experts is examining root causes, system adequacy and corrective steps to strengthen resilience. JPS engaged Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Danova Energy Solutions, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and General Electric. Findings, recommendations and required actions will be disclosed once the review is complete.

Traditional ganja farmers are being offered a path into the licensed medicinal cannabis sector through the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s first special-permit road show, which opened in St. Elizabeth. The special community permit lets groups form cooperatives or businesses, while the cultivator transitional special permit helps growers enter the regulated market as they pursue full licensing. State Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Sebright said the CLA has expanded customer-service channels and works with stakeholder groups, including the ganja coalition, to guide new entrants. Speaking at the launch at Newell High School on Friday, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said farmers are receiving training in crop nutrition, post-harvest handling and related practices, and that RADA extension officers are being prepared to give stronger support. The CLA has so far issued more than 200 licences, with about 25 active cultivation farms islandwide.

Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia Grange announced that Jamaica will mark its 64th Independence anniversary under the theme “United in Celebrating Resilience.” Highlights include the 60th Jamaica Festival Song Competition, with results on July 25; Jamaica Gospel Star; the National Emancipation and Independence Thanksgiving Service on July 26 at Olson Memorial Church of God in St. Andrew; the Seville Emancipation Jubilee in St. Ann on July 31; Independence Village at the National Stadium Complex from August 1 to 6; and the Independence Grand Gala on August 6. Full national and parish schedules will appear on ministry and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission platforms.

On Tuesday the House of Representatives paid tribute to former Cabinet ministers Professor Oswald Harding and Dean Peart, former St. James West Central MP Arthur Nelson, and athletics coach Stephen Francis, who died on July 4. Harding’s funeral is set for July 27 at the UWI Chapel; a Cabinet submission for an official funeral for Peart is planned for Monday; and Francis’s celebration of life is scheduled for August 15 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.