Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips gesticulates while making his presentation to the budget debate in Parliament yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips yesterday fired a fresh salvo of criticism at the Government on a range of issues including corruption, inequality, and the performance of the economy as

Last year, the shrinking credit union movement fell further, to 26 institutions, and the Bank of Jamaica is saying there’s still more contraction to come. It’s not that operators are going out of business, but rather there have been a series of mergers as the small community banks buffer their

A new entrant with tentacles throughout the Caribbean formally announced that it was open for business from New Kingston on Wednesday, nearly five years after the Massy conglomerate disclosed its plans to become a player in the general-insurance market. Forty-year-old Massy United Insurance is already present in 18 other islands

In support of road safety, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Energy Minister Fayval Williams pose for a photo opportunity at Jamaica Rum Festival, Hope Gardens, St Andrew, on Tuesday. The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) was given the perfect platform to drive home the message of responsible drinking to thousands

A People’s National Party (PNP) government led by Dr Peter Phillips would abolish the requirement for student loan guarantors. Phillips, the opposition leader and PNP president, committed yesterday that the repayment of student loans would only begin when graduates were employed. “The monthly repayments of students’ loan will be capped

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — A hard no-deal Brexit or a delay on Britain leaving the European Union? The British Parliament's thumping defeat of Theresa May's Brexit deal increases the likelihood of both options. The House of Commons shot down the prime minister's long-suffering divorce deal with the other 27

CARIBBEAN Information and Credit Rating Services Limited (CariCRIS) has reaffirmed the rating of jmAAA for Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited (SLJ) on its debt issue of US$75 million. The rating indicates that Sagicor's creditworthiness to the US$75 million obligation, adjudged in relation to other obligations within Jamaica is the highest. According

Shadow Finance Minister Mark Golding began his budget speech yesterday by noting “the burning issue of low growth”, observing that even what he called the “modest but achievable” growth targets the last PNP Administration had set for the years 2013/2014 to 2019/2020 had now slipped — and that if they

Effective immediately, Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB) will be reducing the ­premium rate for mortgage indemnity ­insurance (MII) coverage by up to 29 per cent. The MII, rates which were seven per cent of mortgage loans, will now be cut as low as five per cent, said JMB General Manager Courtney

Legitimate providers of small loans in the micro market believe the bill to regulate the sector may have gone too far in its efforts to address predatory lenders. Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson, chairman of the Jamaica Association for Micro Financing (JamFin) wants the crafters of the Micro Credit Act to rethink