One Minute Reads: News from across Jamaica

PATH benefits to be increased

Persons enrolled in the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) can expect an increase in their benefits this year, details of which will be made available soon.

This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Collette Roberts Risden. She was speaking at the ministry's townhall series, 'On a PATH to Transformation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security', on Tuesday in Clarendon and online.

"In a matter of months, our beneficiaries will be very happy with the increases that will come. We are working out the final numbers," she said. Portfolio minister, Pearnel Charles Jr, said that in the allocation to the ministry, "we have seen a 28.8 per cent, call it 30 per cent, increase in the allocation for PATH, moving us upwards of $10 billion for the first time".

"This is complemented by a more than 120 per cent increase in social pension for our seniors who are over the age of 75 who might be graduating from PATH into that programme," the minister noted.

Westmoreland roadwork completed

The National Works Agency (NWA) has completed the rehabilitation of the Whithorn to Darliston roadway in Westmoreland.

Community Relations Officer at the NWA Western Office, Janel Ricketts, told JIS News that the $294-million project involved reshaping and asphalting the 12 kilometres of roadway.

"There was also significant emphasis on repairing undermined sections of the road through the repair and reconstruction of retaining walls," she said. She noted that there was also major drainage improvement to include the construction of U-drains. Work also entailed the bushing of embankments, installation of riprap, removal of soft spots, laying of a new base course and paving.

Ground was broken for the project last July , with works carried out by Morris Hill Limited over an eight-month period. The project was done in two phases, with the first segment involving Whithorn to Highgate followed by Highgate to Darliston.

Pensioners get tax relief

Come April 1, an additional 2,046 pensioners will have more disposable income through increases in the Pension Exemption and Age Relief Exemption.

The exemptions will each move from $80,000 to $250,040 and will see more persons in receipt of a pension falling outside of the tax net. Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke made the announcement while opening the Budget Debate on Tuesday. Presently, persons under 55 receiving a pension from an approved statutory pension scheme or an approved superannuation scheme are entitled to a tax exemption of $80,000 restricted to the pension income only. If the pensioner is 55 and older, the $80,000 tax exemption can also be applied to their other sources of income. This is known as the pension exemption.

In addition, individuals 65 and older, who are in receipt of a pension, are entitled to an age relief exemption of $80,000. This is in addition to the pension exemption, enabling persons 65 years and older to be entitled to $160,000 in exemptions.

At-risk benefit from EU project

Approximately 300 at-risk youth are benefiting from targeted social interventions, under the European Union (EU) BRIDGE Project.

The project, which is implemented by the MultiCare Youth Foundation (MYF), seeks to prevent youth crime and violence by targeting at-risk youth, age 15 to 29, in specific communities. The project focuses on Building through Reintegration, Intervention, Development, Growth and Education (BRIDGE).

The project is being carried out in Effortville in Clarendon; Salt Spring, St James; Russia, Westmoreland; and Trench Town and Whitfield Town in Kingston and St Andrew. It began in January 2023 and sees the youth receiving support for reintegration into school, employment, mentorship, skills training and psychosocial intervention. The BRIDGE project is being implemented at a cost of $75 million.