The Vale Royal bipartisan talks between the Government and the Opposition are to resume next Wednesday.

Karl Samuda, general secretary of the governing Jamaica Labour Party says the People's National Party (PNP) has agreed to continue the talks with focus on the country's growing crime problem.

He says the discussion, which was previously planned for next Thursday, has been brought forward to accommodate all parties involved.

Tensions

Last month, Samuda said the talks, which were last held in January, were suspended because of tensions between Finance Minister Audley Shaw and PNP General Secretary Peter Bunting.

During his closing Budget presentation in April Shaw said Dehring, Bunting and Golding Limited, of which Bunting is a former chairman, had benefited from sweetheart deals in the sale of assets related to the Financial Sector Adjustment Company.

The issue has since been resolved. However, Bunting has maintained that all transactions involving his company were legitimate.

The contractor general is now probing the matter.

The Vale Royal talks, which were introduced by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson after the 2002 General Election, are aimed at arriving at general consensus on issues of national concern.