JAMAICA BUSINESS NEWS: February 7th – 13th, 2015

RATE DETERMINATION TO BE APPEALED—02/07/15
The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) plans to appeal a rate determination made by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in January 2015. JPS will appeal several issues linked to losses in the areas of foreign exchange and equity returns. It will not appeal the reductions in rates provided for consumer bills.

THOUSANDS OF COCOA FARMERS BENEFIT FROM EQUIPMENT DONATION—02/09/15
Food for the Poor (FFP) donated US$4,000 in farm equipment, which will benefit some 2,000 cocoa farmers. The equipment includes tillers, rakes, forks, machetes, and irrigation pumps that were given to the Jamaica Cocoa Farmers Association (JCFA) during a ceremony in St. Catherine. According to Selena Killier-Ledgister, FFP’s agriculture and fishing manager, the equipment donation represents her organization’s continuing support for cocoa production on the island.

FOOD FOR THE POOR, BOUNTY HALL CREATE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PROJECT—02/12/15
In a joint effort, Food for the Poor (FFP) and Bounty Hall New Testament Church of God in Trelawny have developed an animal husbandry project to create jobs for residents in the area. The area was hit hard by the closing of the Hampden Sugar Factory some years ago. The church believes it has the responsibility to help residents find work and partnering with FFP is a welcome addition to the church’s limited resources.

LIME, DEEZER GIVE CUSTOMERS ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF SONGS—02/13/15
The Caribbean’s top telecommunications provider LIME has announced that a partnership with music streaming service Deezer will make over 35 million songs available to subscribers in the region. Deezer has the biggest collection of digital music in the Caribbean and the world. It allows listeners to have instant access to an exclusive music library. It is available to LIME subscribers.