Hurricane Melissa forced Jamaica’s first major building code rewrite since 1908. The legislation was rarely the weak point, enforcement was.

Bauxite companies paid $350 million in compensation since 2020, but theres no centralised system tracking whether it’s adequate. An MP says the bigger problem is how residents are treated, not just what they’re paid.

Jamaica will tax Airbnb-style rentals under GCT from 2027, after a licensing bill stalled the year before. Hoteliers are pleased; some short-term rental operators call the process an ambush.

It takes 14 months to approve a single telecom site in Jamaica, utility executives say, and the same fragmented approval process is slowing construction and infrastructure projects across sectors.

Jamaica will tax Airbnb-style rentals under GCT from 2027, after a licensing bill stalled the year before. Hoteliers are pleased; some short-term rental operators call the process an ambush.

It takes 14 months to approve a single telecom site in Jamaica, utility executives say, and the same fragmented approval process is slowing construction and infrastructure projects across sectors.

Holness cut NHT mortgage rates for teachers, nurses and security forces. A union leader says the real problem isnt the cut, its a pattern of governments using NHT benefits to court whichever group they need that cycle.

Jamaican governments have extracted a combined $146.4 billion from the NHT over the past decade, with the current administration alone taking $11.4 billion annually for ten straight years. A critic says the practice has become institutionalised.

NHT contributions from 2018 are now refundable, earning roughly 14 percent interest over the seven-year hold. Eligibility for cash refunds has also widened to all mortgage holders in good standing, not just public sector workers.

Kingston, Jamaica — 15 January 2026 The recent pause in certain United States immigrant visa processing affecting Jamaicans is prompting renewed examination…