NCB smiling all the way to the bank - profits up
Bucking the trend in a market currently charac-terised by sluggish earnings, National Commercial Bank (NCB) this week posted sweet quarterly results showing a boost in profits. NCB, Jamaica's second largest commercial bank...

$5b spent on plants since 2001, says JPS - Rejects claim that lack of money slowed maintenance
Saying that it spent nearly $5 billion servicing its plants since 2001, Jamaica Public Service (JPS) rejected any suggestion that scrimping on cash caused it to slow down maintenance of its electricity generating units...

Patterson will work for the Government of Jamaica for 'free'
Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson kicked off his international consultancy firm on the defensive Wednesday night with a bald declaration that he would not be undertaking any paid consultancies for the Jamaican Government nor its agencies...

Expanded Hellshire housing project to cost $190m more
The Urban Development Corporation has apparently received the go ahead to expand its Hellshire Park housing project, but the builders, West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON), says that it has not yet been advised....

Big blockbuster summer may boost Palace earnings
This summer should help to generate revenues for Palace Amusement as Hollywood has unleashed a number of blockbuster hit movies. Many contend that this summer's Hollywood blockbusters are the best combination seen for the last couple of years.

Digicel borrows to fuel expansion
Digicel raised an additional US$150 million yesterday after re-opening a US$300 million corporate bond offer issued July last year. The bond was priced 12 days ago by Digicel's lead investment banks Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Chase...

NHT car park stalled by cement
The National Housing Trust Corporation's (NHT) $285 million multi-storey car park which was scheduled to be completed and opened for use a month ago, has been stalled by the cement shortage says the NHT. Sources told the the Financial Gleaner...

PricewaterhouseCoopers tipped to oversee NIBJ merger with DBJ
The National Contracts Commission has endorsed a $10 million contract for consulting and auditing company, PricewaterhouseCoopers to oversee the merger of two state-owned financial institutions...

Trinidad's booming economy faces rising inflation
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago's fast growing economy is facing a serious inflation threat brought on mainly by soaring food prices, according to the Central Bank. Last month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned...

US faces severe worker shortage in future
WASHINGTON AP: The United States faces a severe worker shortage in the near future, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said last month in advocating better education for Americans and changes in immigration law to allow in more foreign workers.