Obama calls for expanded access to fast Internet - VIDEO: WH moving forward with plans to regulate broadband industry

President Obama is diving deeper into the debate over Internet control, urging the Federal Communications Commission to pre-empt state laws that restrict local governments from building broadband services. 

The president unveiled his plans Wednesday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, one of a handful of American cities — along with Chattanooga, Tenn., and Kansas City, Mo. — offering government-provided, high-speed Internet. 

The White House touts these networks as a fast and affordable option for consumers. And Obama sees them as local models for so-called net neutrality — his plan to preserve an open Internet, free of tiered pricing and restrictions imposed by commercial providers. 

“Today, high-speed broadband is not a luxury. It’s a necessity,” Obama said Wednesday. “This is about helping local businesses grow and prosper and compete in the global economy.” 

But the move has angered Republicans and others who worry the federal government is trampling on the ability of states to set their own rules. 

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., on Wednesday accused the president of pushing a “federal takeover of state laws governing broadband and the Internet.” 

According to the White House, 19 states have laws restricting municipal broadband networks. 

Fischer and other lawmakers worry about the impact an array of local government-run broadband networks would have on the private sector. She and 10 other Republican senators wrote to the FCC last summer urging the commission not to “force taxpayer funded competition against private broadband providers — against the wishes of the states.” 

Advocates of those state laws say they are designed to protect taxpayers from municipal projects that are expensive, can fail or may be unnecessary. 

The National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures have urged the FCC not to pre-empt state laws on broadband. 

But the administration argues these state measures stifle competition. 

Obama wants to expand access to broadband communications services, siding with local communities that want either to expand competition or provide municipal services themselves. To promote it, he announced that his administration will provide technical and financial assistance to towns and cities that want to improve Internet service for their residents. 

The proposals do not require congressional approval and are part of a series of measures Obama is rolling out before his State of the Union address next week. 

The administration’s stance would put it at odds with major cable and telephone companies such as AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner Cable Inc., that currently provide Internet service, often with little or no competition. Obama has already angered the industry by calling for new FCC rules that treat Internet service providers as public utilities, as part of his net neutrality push. 

In a White House video before the announcement, Obama says: “You know what it feels like when you don’t have a good Internet connection. Everything is buffering, you try to download a video and you’ve got that little circle thing that goes round and round, it’s really aggravating.” 

“There are real world consequences to this and it makes us less economically competitive,” he says. 

Jeff Zients, director of Obama’s National Economic Council, said Obama wants to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to press the FCC, an independent regulatory agency, to “ensure that all states have a playing field that allows for a vibrant and competitive market for communication services.” 

The FCC is already considering requests for Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, N.C., to prevent state laws from blocking the expansion of their broadband projects. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in June that local communities that want to provide their own broadband service “shouldn’t be stopped by state laws promoted by cable and telephone companies that don’t want that competition.” 

A new White House report says that while 94 percent of Americans living in urban areas can purchase an Internet connection of 25 megabits per second, only 51 percent of Americans in rural areas have access to such Internet speeds. 

The report also says that because of lack of competition three out of four Americans lack a choice for such Internet service. 

The White House also announced that the Commerce Department would promote greater broadband access by hosting regional workshops and offering technical assistance to communities. The Department of Agriculture also will provide grants and loans of $40 million to $50 million to assist rural areas. 

A council comprising more than a dozen government agencies will also seek to remove regulatory and policy barriers that hinder broadband competition, the White House said. 

Fox News’ Doug McKelway and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Obama calls for expanded access to fast Internet - VIDEO: WH moving forward with plans to regulate broadband industry

Gaming industry must be regulated

MINISTER of Finance and Planning Dr Peter Phillips has emphasised that the gaming industry, which provides thousands of jobs and revenues for the Government, must operate under regulations.

The minister, who was addressing the official opening of the new headquarters for the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) and the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), on Hagley Park Road, in St Andrew, last Thursday, said over the past year, revenues from the industry has increased by 11 per cent, and it must remain regulated.

“We must have a well-regulated industry which is free from criminal intrusion, an industry that does not become a vehicle for money laundering, and an industry which is wholesome in the way that it operates,” the minister said.

Lauding the BGLC for its innovation, Dr Phillips said the innovation is not only in policing the industry, “but also trying to ensure that we bring more activities taking place within the ambit of legality, rather than allowing them to exist in the underworld of unregulated activities”.

The Government is currently making legislative amendments to merge the BGLC and the JRC, for a fully funded authority to oversee gaming and horse racing. The new headquarters will result in savings of over $300 million.

Also welcoming the new office complex was Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, who told the gathering that as former finance minister, he made the decision to purchase the property, so that a very important aspect of recommendations made by the public sector transformation body could have been realised.

The JRC was established in December 1972 to oversee the horse-racing industry. Its planned merger with the BGLC, which regulates and controls the operations of betting and gaming, and the conduct of lotteries in the island, has been under consideration for many years.

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Gaming industry must be regulated

Towards a stable pork industry

BY GARFIELD MYERS Editor-at-large, South Central Bureau myersg@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, October 12, 2014    

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Not too long ago a persistent glut in pork production triggered uncompetitively low prices and general depression in the pig industry.

Today, from the perspective of pig farmers the situation is much improved. However, the challenge, they say, is to bring the industry to some level of “equilibrium”, thereby minimising, if not completely bringing to an end the damaging cycles of boom and bust.

Industry leaders are advocating the setting up of a pork council backed by appropriate legislation; and representative of all “stakeholders” which would monitor, if not regulate the industry.

“Every stakeholder within the industry would have a place at such a table (pork council) so that we can monitor the industry at large,” explained recently elected president of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, Hanif Brown.

Immediate past president Delroy Manya envisages a stakeholders’ council that would include representatives from farmers, pork processors, feed companies, technical expertise from the agriculture ministry and the Scientific Research Council, et al.

The aim, said Manya, must be to develop a unified approach from all industry players and stakeholders “so we can control production”.

As the situation now stands, the average farm gate price of live weight pigs ranges from $110 to $115 per pound, according to Brown. Pig carcasses at the farm gate, currently goes for an average $175 – 185 per pound, he said.

That’s a significant improvement on a year ago at the tail-end of the last glut, when the farm gate price for live weight averaged $90 per pound and for carcass, an average $150 per pound.

Industry players say the danger now in the absence of controls is the likely influx of occasional producers seeking to cash in, which will lead to “over-production”, rapid price drop and in effect another glut cycle.

At the recent annual general meeting of the Pig Farmers Association, several speakers from various branches of the livestock sector addressed the need for unified action towards stable production.

“This pig industry has been on a roller-coaster ride for over 40 years. Surplus, shortage, surplus, shortage and we cannot continue like that,” said Valdence Gifford, managing director of Sweet River Abattoir. “No investment is sustainable along that line. … I think there has to be some semblance of a production equilibrium where demand and supply play together at the same level,” he added.

The theme was underlined by Christopher Levy of major animal feed company, Hi-Pro Feeds. “All the stakeholders benefit when things are good, all stakeholders suffer when things are bad,” he said.

As part of the “alignment” process between production and the available market, Brown said that his administration will be pushing to give farmers greater “access to processors on a contract basis”.

Since the formal launch of the Pig Farmers Association 12 years ago, pork production in Jamaica has improved to the point where the country is self-sufficient in prime cuts. Nowadays only pork fringes such as bellies for bacon, tails, and trimmings for the sausage sector are imported.

At the recent AGM, chief technical director in the Ministry of Agriculture Derron Spence, who was representing new agriculture minister Derrick Kellier, placed pork production in Jamaica at 10 million kilogrammes annually. A study conducted two years ago by local firm Trevor Hamilton and Associates valued the industry at $6.4 billion.

As was a repeated theme of Roger Clarke, the late agriculture minister, Kellier, as reported by Spence, made the obvious point at the AGM in Mandeville that exports could help ease the pressure of increased production.

But while processors are quietly reporting success in accessing markets in CARICOM and beyond, a challenge is meeting the increasingly stringent standards being set for food and meat globally.

The establishment of “traceability” procedures from the “farm to fork” is integral to that process. The message was repeatedly delivered at the AGM that farmers will have to “modernise” and “retrofit” to meet the demanding requirements ahead of long-awaited traceability legislation.

“We need to have a structure in agriculture, where we have produce moving from farmer to end user so there is traceability,” stated opposition spokesman on agriculture, JC Hutchinson.

Standards apart, creativity and a willingness to market new pork-derived products was recommended by guest speaker Dr Robert Thomas as one way to soak up mass production.

The Scientific Research Council (SRC) had much to offer in that regard, said Thomas, who is a consultant attached to the United States Soybean Export Council.

“Can we commission the SRC to work at producing new products that you can sell?” he asked rhetorically.

Innovative thinking could twin processed pork with other local products such as sweet potato and cassava chips, Thomas argued.

“How about jerk pork and bammy — snack food that you snap open like cheese crunches, how about … pork granola, pork and cashew nuts, pork and almonds, pork snacks like you have cheese curls… stuff that you can market for the airlines,” he said.

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Towards a stable pork industry

Law to be amended to facilitate medical ganja industry

The Government has drafted legislation to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act in a move to establish medical ganja and industrial hemp industries.

Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding, made the announcement at a special press briefing yesterday, at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The minister explained that the cultivation and other activities involved in the production and supply of the plant will be legal under a controlled regime.

He further said that the objective of modifying the Dangerous Drugs Act, is to lay the foundations for the establishment of regulatory regimes to govern the cultivation and use of ganja for medical and scientific purposes, as well as non-medical industrial hemp.

The amended law will observe Jamaica‘s anti-narcotics obligations and the industries will operate under licence.

“It must be emphasised that these proposals must be consistent with the existing requirements of the anti-narcotics treaties to which Jamaica is a party,” Senator Golding is quoted as saying in a release from the Jamaica Information Service.

A Licensing Authority is to be established to govern the licensing processes for participation in the medicinal ganja industry, while the industrial hemp industry will be similarly subject to a licensing system. The amended Dangerous Drugs Act will enable the making of regulations for the licensing authority.

Minister Golding informed that it will deal with “permits and authorisations for the controlled cultivation, production, processing, possession, transportation, delivery, offering for sale, exporting and importing of ganja for medical and scientific purposes, including research, clinical trials and the manufacture of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.”

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Law to be amended to facilitate medical ganja industry

Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

8:40 pm, Sun September 28, 2014

Industry Ministry Anthony Hylton has defended new provisions in the Motor Vehicle Import Policy in the wake of  rumblings in the used car trade.He says there was adequate consultation on the revised Policy. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association last week indicated that its members will not comply with new requirements that they provide warranties for front end and electrical parts on vehicles they sell.The Industry Minister responded to the Association’s concerns last night and emphasized that it was geared towards the proctection of consumers. The Used Car Dealers Association says the Policy will discourage its members from importing popular affordable vehicles to avoid the risk of  paying extensively to change certain parts.In the meantime, Mr. Hylton says the door is still open to members of  the used car industry to air concerns about the new Policy.

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Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

8:40 pm, Sun September 28, 2014

Industry Ministry Anthony Hylton has defended new provisions in the Motor Vehicle Import Policy in the wake of  rumblings in the used car trade.He says there was adequate consultation on the revised Policy. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association last week indicated that its members will not comply with new requirements that they provide warranties for front end and electrical parts on vehicles they sell.The Industry Minister responded to the Association’s concerns last night and emphasized that it was geared towards the proctection of consumers. The Used Car Dealers Association says the Policy will discourage its members from importing popular affordable vehicles to avoid the risk of  paying extensively to change certain parts.In the meantime, Mr. Hylton says the door is still open to members of  the used car industry to air concerns about the new Policy.

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Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

Jamaica now looking to export pork as local industry booms

Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 4:46 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dervan Spence, has lauded local pig farmers for creating a “self-sufficient pork industry”.

Spence, who was speaking at the 12th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA) held in Mandeville on Thursday (September 25), said Jamaica produces nearly 10 million kilograms of pork annually, which is more than enough to satisfy local consumption.

He noted that this independence from importing pork and pork products, exemplifies, in several ways, the goal of the Government to achieve food and nutrition security.

“We are seeking to ensure sustainable food security and the aim is to attain self-sufficiency in many areas. We are now looking at that in Irish potato and several other crops coming on stream, and the plan is to target the expansion of the export sector, once we have satisfied the local market,” Spence said.

He noted that having successfully increased production to sustainable levels, the pork industry can now lead the way in terms of expansion into export markets and diversification of product lines.

The chief technical director gave the pig farmers the assurance, that the Government has every intention to build on and preserve the gains that have been made.

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Jamaica now looking to export pork as local industry booms

K"reema making strides in the music industry

Contributed – K’reema and King Yellowman backstage at BB King.

Dancehall/pop artiste K’reema is looking forward to a bright future in music.

The talented beauty is the second of six children for dancehall legend Winston Foster, who is known throughout the world as King Yellowman.

K’reema made her recording debut a month ago with the release of a hot party track called We Don’t Give A What. Since then, she has been working extremely hard to promote the single in the US where she is based, as well as overseas.

K’reema recently delivered an exciting performance at a special event which was held to raise awareness about sickle cell disease in the Black American and Latino communities in New York.

The event, which was one of a series of summer concerts organised by the city of Brooklyn, was held at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza.

Performing We Don’t Give A What and a rendition of pop star Sia’s Chandelier, K’reema delivered a short and spicy performance which went over well with the audience.

“My performance was very special for me, it was my first official performance. I’ve made a number of appearances with my dad, but this was the first time I was performing on my own. I am so happy the audience loved my performance,” said K’reema.

K’reema was also in fine form when she opened for King Yellowman at an event which was held at the prestigious BB King Blues Club in Manhattan.

She opened the show performing We Don’t Give A What, which went over well the audience. After her opening performance, the audience had the opportunity to hear her show off her impressive vocal range when she joined her dad onstage to perform his hit version of the Fats Domino classic, Blueberry Hill.

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K"reema making strides in the music industry

K"reema making strides in the music industry

Contributed – K’reema and King Yellowman backstage at BB King.

Dancehall/pop artiste K’reema is looking forward to a bright future in music.

The talented beauty is the second of six children for dancehall legend Winston Foster, who is known throughout the world as King Yellowman.

K’reema made her recording debut a month ago with the release of a hot party track called We Don’t Give A What. Since then, she has been working extremely hard to promote the single in the US where she is based, as well as overseas.

K’reema recently delivered an exciting performance at a special event which was held to raise awareness about sickle cell disease in the Black American and Latino communities in New York.

The event, which was one of a series of summer concerts organised by the city of Brooklyn, was held at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza.

Performing We Don’t Give A What and a rendition of pop star Sia’s Chandelier, K’reema delivered a short and spicy performance which went over well with the audience.

“My performance was very special for me, it was my first official performance. I’ve made a number of appearances with my dad, but this was the first time I was performing on my own. I am so happy the audience loved my performance,” said K’reema.

K’reema was also in fine form when she opened for King Yellowman at an event which was held at the prestigious BB King Blues Club in Manhattan.

She opened the show performing We Don’t Give A What, which went over well the audience. After her opening performance, the audience had the opportunity to hear her show off her impressive vocal range when she joined her dad onstage to perform his hit version of the Fats Domino classic, Blueberry Hill.

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K"reema making strides in the music industry

Local book industry points to drop in sales

Financial losses are set to escalate for the local book industry as dealers have seen a drop in sales due to the Ministry of  Education’s new textbook policy.

The Ministry yesterday reported that book lists distributed by schools for the next academic year have been significantly reduced when compared to previous years. It said this resulted from the recent decision to restrict supplementary textbooks to those it approved in order to ease the burden on parents.

The Book Industry Association of  Jamaica, BIAJ, last night confirmed that sales have nose-dived. President, Norman Marshall, told our news centre that the Association’s members are bracing for a major fallout.

The BIAJ says its members, made up of 31 associates are bracing for millions of  dollars in losses from the decline in sales.

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Local book industry points to drop in sales

Sugar Industry under threat as Government implements $30m drought plan

Jamaica’s multi-billion dollar sugar industry is now under major threat due to the effects of  the worsening dry spell.

The Sugar Industry Authority, SIA, says the next Crop could be in jeopardy with the forecast of  below average rainfall for the rest of  the year. According to Chairman of  the SIA, Ambassador Derrick Heaven, the scorching dry spell has coincided with replanting for the Crop and there will be serious implications.
Ambassador Heaven says the situation is cause for alarm.

And the Government will be implementing a $30m drought mitigation project for farmers across the island next week.  That’s the word from Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of  Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry.

The project will involve the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the Jamaica Agricultural Society, farmers and political representatives.  Mr. Stanberry says the Government is also investing in rainwater harvesting systems, and looking to build micro dams through its climate change programme.     

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Sugar Industry under threat as Government implements $30m drought plan

Thorpido makes music industry debut

Thorpido – Contributed

Marvin Lloyd Thorpe is better known by his stage name Thorpido. Thorpido is a reggae recording artiste and songwriter.

He is best known for his hit single Teach Them The Way, which peaked at at No. 1 on CVM TV Hit List video Chart.

Thorpido was born in Kingston on July 23, 1986. In 1991, he moves to Pembroke Hall, St Mary. At the age of nine, while enrolled at the Jeffery Town All-Age School, he developed a passion for music while listening to the likes of Buju Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer. Thorpido would write songs consisting of four lines and sing them aloud with his brothers.

After leaving Tacky High School, which he represented in both football and cricket, he continued his musical journey, and in 2004, he started recording songs with his brothers and friends.

By 2007, Thorpido had written dozens of songs and performed on several stage shows. In 2010, he released his first single, Evil Deeds, on the Assault rhythm under the Kaos Production Label. He performed on TVJ Smile Jamaica and got radio play also.

Thorpido has now released new single Down In Jamaica on the bitter winds rhythm under Doobie Production, a label from Sweden. He is looking to do fairly well in the music industry.

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Thorpido makes music industry debut

Jamaica seeking to establish Hemp industry - Hylton

The Government of Jamaica is pursuing the imminent establishment of a hemp industry, designed to exploit the huge potential of the versatile plant.

Changes to the Dangerous Drugs Act were recently announced to decriminalise the possession and smoking of small quantities of the related marijuana (ganja) plant and for its use in medicinal research.

But according to Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the benefits to be derived from promoting the many uses of hemp will not be ignored.

“The interest there is huge; the investment possibility is significant and we have to get the regulations correct, because the secret to that is having the balance and the proper regulations in place. So we are focused on that,” the Minister said, while addressing the annual general meeting of the Jamaica Manufacturers Associatio in Kingston on Wednesday.

Hemp vs Ganja

Hemp and Ganja both come from the same plant – Cannabis Sativa L. Hemp, used in industrial applications, contains only about 0.3% – 1.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinoids, the intoxicating ingredients that provides the high smokers crave) while the ganja that is commonly smoked contains about 5% – 10% or more THC.

Hemp fibre is said to be the longest, strongest and most durable of all natural fibres. It was used for thousands of years in many parts of the world, including Jamaica, before falling out of favour in some places like the United States (because of its association with marijuana) which influenced its decline here as well.

Hemp is said to produce four times as much fibre per acre as pine trees and is used to make a wide variety of products, including paper, textiles, ropes, even building materials. It is an important source of biomass for fuel and is used to make a clean burning ethanol.

The seed and seed-oil from hemp are high in protein, essential fatty and amino acids, and vitamins.

SOURCES: hempethics.weebly.com/industrial-hemp-vs-cannabis.html

             www.naihc.org/hemp_information/content/hemp.mj.html

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Jamaica seeking to establish Hemp industry - Hylton

Jamaica seeking to establish Hemp industry - Hylton

The Government of Jamaica is pursuing the imminent establishment of a hemp industry, designed to exploit the huge potential of the versatile plant.

Changes to the Dangerous Drugs Act were recently announced to decriminalise the possession and smoking of small quantities of the related marijuana (ganja) plant and for its use in medicinal research.

But according to Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the benefits to be derived from promoting the many uses of hemp will not be ignored.

“The interest there is huge; the investment possibility is significant and we have to get the regulations correct, because the secret to that is having the balance and the proper regulations in place. So we are focused on that,” the Minister said, while addressing the annual general meeting of the Jamaica Manufacturers Associatio in Kingston on Wednesday.

Hemp vs Ganja

Hemp and Ganja both come from the same plant – Cannabis Sativa L. Hemp, used in industrial applications, contains only about 0.3% – 1.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinoids, the intoxicating ingredients that provides the high smokers crave) while the ganja that is commonly smoked contains about 5% – 10% or more THC.

Hemp fibre is said to be the longest, strongest and most durable of all natural fibres. It was used for thousands of years in many parts of the world, including Jamaica, before falling out of favour in some places like the United States (because of its association with marijuana) which influenced its decline here as well.

Hemp is said to produce four times as much fibre per acre as pine trees and is used to make a wide variety of products, including paper, textiles, ropes, even building materials. It is an important source of biomass for fuel and is used to make a clean burning ethanol.

The seed and seed-oil from hemp are high in protein, essential fatty and amino acids, and vitamins.

SOURCES: hempethics.weebly.com/industrial-hemp-vs-cannabis.html

             www.naihc.org/hemp_information/content/hemp.mj.html

View the original article here

Jamaica seeking to establish Hemp industry - Hylton

Music Industry Achievers Awards for July 10

The organisers of this years’ Music Industry Achievers Awards have announced that the event will be held at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston on July 10, 2014.

The show begins at 7 p.m., with the walking of the red carpet an hour earlier. Tickets for the show are now on sale at Quick Fix Tectronics, Shop #50, Clock Tower Plaza.

The star-studded event celebrates four years of honouring Jamaican entertainers for their creative efforts and contribution to the music fraternity. This year’s event will be hosted by the effervescent Jade from ZIP 103 and Phoenix from Kool FM.

Attendees will be entertained by performances from Versatile, Seanizzle, Tnez, Iyara, Omari, Ikaya, and many more. There will also be a special feature from a known international act this year.

“This is the defining year for The Music Industry Achievers Awards. we are going full force. I am promising a flawless show from the walking of the red carpet until the closing of the show,” said Nackesha Doyley, CEO of the Music Industry Achievers Awards.

For the first time, there will be live streaming at the red carpet by Panta Son, so non-attendees can watch from the comfort of their homes. Fame and Hitz FMs will be doing an outside broadcast.

The prestigious award boasts 27 categories and six ambassadors. Elise Kelly, Ron Muschette, and Jenny Jennyhave been named as three special awardees.

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Music Industry Achievers Awards for July 10

Music Industry Achievers Awards for July 10

The organisers of this years’ Music Industry Achievers Awards have announced that the event will be held at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston on July 10, 2014.

The show begins at 7 p.m., with the walking of the red carpet an hour earlier. Tickets for the show are now on sale at Quick Fix Tectronics, Shop #50, Clock Tower Plaza.

The star-studded event celebrates four years of honouring Jamaican entertainers for their creative efforts and contribution to the music fraternity. This year’s event will be hosted by the effervescent Jade from ZIP 103 and Phoenix from Kool FM.

Attendees will be entertained by performances from Versatile, Seanizzle, Tnez, Iyara, Omari, Ikaya, and many more. There will also be a special feature from a known international act this year.

“This is the defining year for The Music Industry Achievers Awards. we are going full force. I am promising a flawless show from the walking of the red carpet until the closing of the show,” said Nackesha Doyley, CEO of the Music Industry Achievers Awards.

For the first time, there will be live streaming at the red carpet by Panta Son, so non-attendees can watch from the comfort of their homes. Fame and Hitz FMs will be doing an outside broadcast.

The prestigious award boasts 27 categories and six ambassadors. Elise Kelly, Ron Muschette, and Jenny Jennyhave been named as three special awardees.

View the original article here

Music Industry Achievers Awards for July 10

Jamaica can earn US$7B annually from limestone industry – local scientist

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — One of Jamaica’s leading researchers says that the country can earn up to US$7 billion annually by ramping up the production of limestone and its high value-added items, for the local and export markets.

According to, Dr Conrad Douglas, in presenting research findings at a recent stakeholder symposium at JAMPRO’s New Kingston office, the industry offers vast opportunity for investors in agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing. Dr Douglas the executive chairman of research company, Conrad Douglas and Associates, cited the production of paper, polishes, paints, rubber, glass, cosmetics, plastics and adhesives as possibilities. “There are great opportunities … what we found was really large. We are talking about total cumulative value for the markets of some US$7 billion,” he said.According to Dr Douglas, Jamaica is blessed with rich limestone resources and is considered “the limestone capital of the world”.The country’s limestone resource is estimated 150 billion tonnes of which 50 billion tonnes is recoverable. The main export markets for limestone are Canada, United States, CARICOM, and South America, he said.“Jamaican limestone is occurring naturally, we have been producing it, and we have been exporting it, and it has found acceptance in the international markets. We have pharmaceutical limestone, we have chemical limestone, and we also have metallurgical limestone (use primarily in the bauxite industry). Limestone has the most diverse end-use structure of all material known by mankind. That, in itself, presents a wide range of opportunities,” said Dr Douglas.He cautioned, however, that there is need to focus on the production of high value-added products to drive the industry for the future. “We believe that there is opportunity, as found from the study, to ramp-up production to a greater level,” he said.Dr Douglas said that currently, Jamaica imports limestone products that can be manufactured locally, and some 10 plants across the island can be “ramped-up easily” for the production of these value-added items.He pointed out, however, that for the development of the sector, a number of legislation relating to planning and development orders need to be amended. He noted too that “great reliance” will have to be placed on scientists in the development of the industry.“It means that we have to apply best sciences, and the best technology, and the best environment management practices to embark on a path of sustainable development and the use of creative conservation technologies, which now exist for the rehabilitation of those areas, which we might extract this resource from,” he said.Dr Douglas’s team is to conduct two other studies on the limestone industry, one looking at the required investment for the sector, while the other will explore technical and environmental plans for the companies involved in the industry.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserverDr Douglas, presenting findings on the limestone industry, at a recent stakeholder symposium held at the JAMPRO business auditorium in New Kingston.

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Jamaica can earn US$7B annually from limestone industry – local scientist

Can Jamaica create a sustainable venture capital industry?

IN a press briefing Wednesday, Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) CEO Milverton Reynolds announced that his institution would be hosting a venture capital conference entitled “Advancing innovation and entrepreneurship – Seeding Tomorrow’s Opportunities” on September 9th at the Pegasus hotel.

One of the world’s leading experts on venture capital – Harvard Business School Professor Josh Lerner – would headline the event, supported by Patricia Freitas, the creator of the highly successful INOVAR venture capital project in Brazil, and Patricia Garcia – Robles, the Principal Investment Officer in charge of the IDB’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) early stage equity group, who serves on over 20 boards of directors and investment committees of seed and venture capital funds. It would be an opportunity for Jamaicans to learn about venture capital first-hand, from both local and international experts.The conference is a key part of the Jamaica Venture Capital Programme (JVCP), launched in February as a partnership between the DBJ and the IDB. At that time, the IDB’s regional Caribbean head, Gerard Johnson, signed an agreement for the IDB to provide US$150,000 in grant assistance for the project, with counterpart funding of US$128,000 from the DBJ. The grant has funded a market analysis by Freitas, a strategic plan for the development of a venture capital ecosystem, and a communication strategy to build awareness among stakeholders and the general public on the importance of equity financing and an appreciation for venture capital.In his presentation, DBJ CEO Milverton Reynolds admitted that several previous attempts at creating a venture capital industry in Jamaica hadn’t really succeeded, but he believed that this attempt was different in being both “sustainable” and “inclusive”.DBJ Chairman Joe Matalon expanded on the issue of why venture capital hadn’t worked in Jamaica, arguing that the main issue was a need to create a venture capital ecosystem. Past efforts had focused mainly on the demand/funding side rather than taking an in- depth approach. Examples of a more in-depth approach included sensitising local industry, the training of local venture capital managers, and the preparation of potential investees (local companies) to be able to qualify for investment by a typical venture capital fund. Previous efforts had not been sufficiently grounded in the private sector, and while there had been individual successes, such as JMMB, the industry needed to be sustainable. The project would be launched over the next three years, and requires the involvement of all stakeholders to get companies ready for venture capital investment e.g. lawyers, fund managers, pension funds, angel investors, incubators etc.In the case of pension funds, Matalon noted, the typical Jamaican pension fund is invested very conservatively in public equities, real estate, and Jamaican Government paper. As would be expected, Jamaica’s previously very high interest rate environment had caused “risk” investment to wither. Recent changes in the macro environment, however, had changed that dynamic. Pension fund trustees were now looking at different asset classes as yields on government paper were now very low compared with the very high yields available in the past.Matalon argued that “he didn’t think the venture capital industry was going to happen overnight” and that the worst thing the DBJ could do was just put $1 billion dollars into a fund as they hadn’t yet done the work needed, and in any case any future fund should not be a DBJ fund. The DBJ would instead seek to be a catalyst for a private sector-led industry, co-investing with qualified private sector managers, who would conduct the necessary due diligence and make the investment decision regarding the capital financing of eligible projects.Addressing the issue of whether the state of the economy would negatively impact the creation of a venture capital industry in Jamaica, Matalon observed that “the investment community was not looking for announcements anymore, but wanted to see credible action”.Finally, responding to further questions as to why venture capital had not been a success so far in Jamaica, JVCP coordinator Audrey Richards advised that this would be addressed in detail at the conference. Further information was provided by the DBJ’s information sheet, “Why attend the conference?”, which addressed a number of potential issues related to the question of what is different this time around, including “an appropriate legal and regulatory framework” to “ensure that entrepreneurs and investors understand the rules, understand what is expected of them in entering contractual arrangements and how each party can be expected”. It also stated that the conference would address “the link between venture capital and private equity markets and the very successful Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange” and how the venture capital market can “create access to the stock exchange for an entrepreneur”.Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) Chairman, Joseph Matalon (centre), emphasises a point during Wednesday’s media briefing at the institution’s New Kingston offices, where he outlined details of developments pertaining to the Jamaica Venture Capital Programme’s (JVCP) implementation, being undertaken by the DBJ; and the upcoming conference in September, where the initiative is slated to be launched. Listening keenly are DBJ Managing Director Milverton Reynolds and JVCP Co-ordinator and Manager, Audrey Richards. (PHOTO: JIS)

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Can Jamaica create a sustainable venture capital industry?

Taskforce to aid in growth of local animation industry -- Hylton

Latest News

Thursday, July 18, 2013 | 10:25 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — A high-level working group has been convened to aid in facilitating the growth and development of Jamaica’s animation industry.The group, which has been assembled by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton, comprises of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, the animation industry, training institutions, business support services, and financial institutions.“The taskforce has already started to craft the policy framework required to support all aspects of the industry, through the provision of the most enabling environment,” the minister said (July 17), as he addressed an animation workshop at JAMPRO’s New Kingston offices. Hylton said that through JAMPRO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a finishing school will be developed to equip animators with the skills to compete on the world stage.He said that the administration is already in discussion with the HEART Trust/NTA for the inclusion of an animation workforce training course, to be added to their curriculum, “to produce Jamaica’s first home grown batch of animators”. Currently valued at over US$200 billion, the global animation industry has been growing at a tremendous pace over the past four years, expanding by over $1 billion per year, which is equivalent to a 20 per cent yearly growth rate.  Hylton said that this presents tremendous economic opportunities for Jamaica and the Government is committed to ensuring that “we do not miss the animation boat”. He noted that the network of animators and animation outfits in Jamaica continues to grow, with four animation studios exporting their services globally. “Outsourcing in the animation industry is lucrative, and makes for good business sense because gone are the days when any job is completed in one location. In 2012, global animation revenue in entertainment alone generated over US$100 billion, most of which was specific to the video game industry, and discrete elements of any video game are produced in several spaces.  The ship of outsourcing animation is sailing, and Jamaica needs to be on board,” said Hylton.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Taskforce to aid in growth of local animation industry -- Hylton

EU provides US$30M boost to Guyana"s sugar industry

Business

Friday, June 28, 2013

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The European Union has awarded Guyana US$30 million to help boost the Caribbean country’s struggling sugar industry.The money will be used to buy harvesting machines and lessen dependence on cane cutters, many of whom have abandoned fields to work in the country’s booming gold-mining business.The announcement comes just days after the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation reported its lowest-ever first crop production of 48,000 tons (43,500 metric tons), 20,000 tons (18,100 metric tons) less than projected.The company has blamed serious labour shortages, bad weather, mounting debt and management problems for the decrease in production.The deal was signed last week.Sugar generates about 20 per cent of Guyana’s gross domestic product, and the industry is the country’s largest employer. Against the background that the sugar industry continues to play a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country, Government earlier this year said it was pumping billions of dollars in reforming the industry.“The industry is still of sufficient systemic importance to the national economy and to the livelihoods of so many rural communities and has such deep forward and backward linkages with suppliers and distributors nationwide that no effort must be spared to ensure its long-term viability, competitiveness, and profitability,” said Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh as he announced a billion-dollar (One Guyana dollar = US$0.01 cents) allocation to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) in March.

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EU provides US$30M boost to Guyana"s sugar industry