The government will be seeking permission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to extend the deadline for a reduction in the size of the public sector wage bill to nine per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

GraceKennedy Limited has racked up a new record year for revenues, but large expenses linked to inventory and other costs of doing business, plus a larger salary bill, have squeezed the conglomerate's profit margins.

Bert van Selm, the resident representative for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says that with improving economic fundamentals, it is time for Jamaicans to step up and invest more in business.

With local companies looking around for cheaper financing, Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) said on Monday that it has started the year with several planned transactions in the works.

The Bahamas government is moving ahead with a plan to provide all nationals, regardless of their financial means, with access to universal health care.

BlackBerry may be launching four new smartphones over the coming year, but the struggling company is staking its future on becoming a giant in software.