Jamaica advances Suriname ties, demerit points from October, and St. James clergy press on crime and recovery

Jamaica and Suriname are moving to convert diplomatic relations into wider economic cooperation, with both governments pointing to energy, trade and investment as priority areas. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness said expanded oil and gas activity across CARICOM creates a chance for regional energy security, noting Jamaica’s offshore exploration has so far indicated the possibility of an active petroleum system. He also said talks are under way on an air services agreement that could allow direct flights between the two countries. Suriname’s president told the discussions reflect shared interest in deeper cooperation, including concerns about labour migration and how both states might respond.

In St. James, clergy leaders used a Wednesday media briefing to raise alarms over healthcare shortages, violent crime, slow post-Hurricane Melissa response and damaged roads, including erosion along Spring Main Road in upper St. James. Chairman of the St. James Ministers’ Fraternal, Reverend Glendon Powell, said the parish had recorded 35 murders since the start of 2026, nine more than the 26 recorded between January 1 and June 25, 2025. Immediate past president Reverend Davewin Thomas highlighted poor conditions at Cornwall Regional Hospital, while Powell urged wider church collaboration against crime and called for accountability after an Integrity Commission report tabled in Parliament recommended criminal charges of illicit enrichment against Cabinet minister Dr. Andrew Wheatley.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, speaking at a St. James town hall, said poor lifestyle choices remain a major driver of illness and announced $500 million for qualified non-governmental organisations to support health and quality-of-life programmes. He said the national health budget had grown from $60 billion in 2015 to $140 billion last year.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said the national demerit system will take effect on October 1, after a September 30 deadline for motorists to settle outstanding traffic tickets. He warned of zero tolerance for reckless driving, citing 136 road deaths in 122 accidents up to June 24, 2026. Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said efforts are under way with court administrators to improve file access, including wider use of electronic case management. Transport Authority Managing Director Rosson Smith urged public passenger vehicle operators to comply or risk licence suspension.

Parliament’s regulations committee heard Tuesday that a technical error in insurance regulations had omitted motor vehicle insurance from a key schedule; Financial Services Commission Executive Director Lieutenant Colonel Kieran Burrell said the correction restores the intended classification without changing approved fees.

Counselling psychologist Dr. Patrice Charles King warned that cyberbullying now follows children home through social media and called for parental support, school prevention, faster reporting pathways and stronger protections against image-based and anonymous abuse.

At a donor breakfast in Kingston, Project STAR leaders said the social transformation programme remains active after four years in five communities across Kingston and St. Andrew, St. James and Westmoreland, reporting gains in stability, economic resilience and school outcomes, including a 57% literacy improvement at Kingston Technical High School. Co-chairman Keith Duncan said the initiative will continue as an implementing partner of the Ministry of National Security and Peace.

In a legal segment on building on land without title, attorney-at-law Hosimar Bel Navis said permission to construct may create rights against reversal without compensation, that compulsory government acquisition can trigger compensation claims, and that long, exclusive occupation of 12 years or more may support an adverse possession claim, while urging written agreements before major investment.

Mayberry Investments hosted a “Beyond the Portfolio” client event where CEO Patrick Batai said the firm is expanding digital tools and exploring data science and artificial intelligence to support research and operations, while clarifying AI would not provide licensed investment advice. Chairman Christopher Bry and Group CEO Gary Pier stressed continued client engagement, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Severin noted the firm’s role in linking local investors across sectors.