THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
SECOND ROUND OF INCREASES SCHEDULED FOR NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
The lowest-paying jobs in Jamaica will see another increase in the minimum wage as the second round of increases in just two years takes effect. The second round will provide raises that are more significant than the hikes made in 2022 and will be the largest increase in some two decades. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the new rates in the House of Representatives, noting that the new rate represents an increase of 44 percent. As of June 1, 2023, Jamaica’s national minimum wage will rise from J$9,000 to J$13,000 for a 40-hour work week. A separate increase will be given to industrial security guards who will see an increase from J$10,500 to J$14,000 per week.
JAMAICAN WOMAN JOINS WORLD WOMAN HERO HONOREE AS SHE RINGS OPENING BELL AT NASDAQ
Jamaican Shari Smith was among a group that joined Federica Marchionni, the Global Fashion Agenda CEO and honoree of the 2023 World Woman Hero award, when Marchionni range the opening bell at NASDAQ for the day’s trading in New York City to mark the end of Women’s History Month. Smith is from Montego Bay and is a communications specialist and vice-president of corporate affairs at WPP, one of the largest public relations companies in the world. Smith described her experience as an “absolute honor and privilege.” Smith is the daughter of Ralph Smith, a transportation mogul based in Montego Bay. She was invited to join the group at the opening bell by the World Woman Foundation. Marchionni is the former president of Dolce and Gabbana and Ferrari and now serves as CEO of Global Fashion Agenda. Smith was the only Jamaican and the only Black woman in the group.
THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
BELIZE PASSES STRICT TRAVEL RULES FOR JAMAICANS AND HAITIANS
Under new and more stringent immigration protocols, Belize now requires Jamaicans to provide proof that they have paid for lodging before they enter the country, while Haitians can no longer enter the country without visas. The government imposed the stricter rules following a meeting of the cabinet that determined nationals from Haiti and Jamaica, both members of CARICOM, use Belize as a point of transit in attempts to enter the United States illegally. The cabinet invoked Article 226(a) of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which allows Belize’s Minister of Immigration to immediately require a visa for Haitians who want to visit the country and to require Jamaica’s nationals to provide proof that they had paid for non-refundable hotel lodging before boarding flight to Belize. A task force designed to address “rampant smuggling” will be chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration.
THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
DANCEHALL ARTIST SPICE THANKS ATLANTA SURGEON BY TEACHING HIM JAMAICAN PATOIS
In 2022, the recording artist known as the Queen of Dancehall, Spice, was hospitalized in the Dominican Republic suffering from complications from surgery. She was then flown to Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. Nicholas Jones successfully performed a series of life-saving operations that saved her life. She showed her gratitude to the surgeon who saved her when her case seemed hopeless by agreeing to his request that she teach him some Jamaican patois. She was happy to teach him popular phrases in patois, including “wah gwaan” and “big up yuh self.” Spice is fully recovered from her near-death experience and subsequent surgeries, and even announced a new song, “Queen of the Dancehall,” which is set to release on April 11, 2023.
THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS
MORE THAN 350 PARTICIPANTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD REGISTER FOR 2023 EXPO JAMAICA
Expo Jamaica, which is the largest trade and exhibition event in the Caribbean region, has already garnered 374 participants from around the world. Aubyn Hill, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, announced the fact at a think-tank gathering at the Jamaica Information Service on April 4, 2023, in Kingston. The 48th staging of Expo Jamaica will be held at the National Indoor Sports Center and the National Arena in Kingston from April 27 to April 30, 2023. At the Expo, Jamaican businesses will be able to connect with buyers from around the world. The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association is hosing the event. According to Hill, about 50 percent of the registered attendees are from Jamaica, while others represent interests from Ghana and Guyana.
THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
CALABASH LITERARY FESTIVAL TO RETURN TO TREASURE BEACH IN 2023
The famous Calabash literary festival will be held May 26 to 28, 2023, in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, for the first time since 2018, and it will include among its sponsors Amazon’s Audible, the online audiobook and podcast service. According to Justine Henzell, co-founder of the festival, this is the first time that a large, global, corporate sponsor has been involved with Calabash. She attributed the sponsorship interest to the fact that Audible recognizes the Calabash brand and trusts that it can develop a collection of short stories about love from Jamaica. Audible is a top internet option for the acquisition of audiobooks, as well as the top producer of Dow label audiobooks in the world. The theme of the 2023 Calabash festival is “Onward Upward – For Word” and will feature authors including Linton Kwesi Johnson, Olive Senior, Xavier Navarro Aquino, Padma Lakshmi, Jeremy Pointing, Ingrid Persaud, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Busby, Jonathan Escoffery, Nicole Krauss, Tom Zoellner and Namwali Serpell.
THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
RETURN OF RACERS GRAND PRIX TO FEATURE TOP ATHLETES
The Racers Grand Prix competition will return to National Stadium in Kingston in 2023 after a hiatus of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is scheduled for June 3, 2023, with several high-profile Jamaican competitors, including Shericka Jackson, Hansle Parchment, Megan Tapper, Fedrick Dacres, Traves Smikle, Oblique Seville, and Shanieka Ricketts. Other star athletes slated to appear include Noah Lyles of the US, Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, and Tobi Amusan of Nigeria. Glen Mills, president of the Racers Track Club, said more athletes will be announced closer to the event’s opening date. Tickets will be available the first week of May, but prices have yet to be disclosed.
