The exchange rate moves daily and reprices every imported material a Jamaican build depends on. Why currency risk deserves as much budgeting attention as the mortgage rate, and usually gets less.

Consultations on transforming Kingston’s 51-acre National Heroes Park, with a purpose-built Parliament and new UDC headquarters, are almost complete, the Prime Minister says, with construction to follow.

Officials at a New Kingston workshop pledged investment in the Common Alerting Protocol so one clear disaster warning reaches every phone, radio, siren and agency at once.

Most of the 2,500 foldable modular units bought by the NHT under a $3.1 billion contract have arrived, with the rest due by September; installation is handled separately.

In the Jamaica of the late 19th century, architecture was shaped by empire, emancipation, commerce and climate. Behind the picturesque verandahs stood sharp inequalities — but also practical lessons about building with the island rather than against it.

The Government is assessing small desalination projects linked to solar and pumped hydro storage in St Thomas and Clarendon, but rules out a national scheme on cost grounds.