The Government continues to implement key initiatives aimed at increasing the ease of doing business in Jamaica.
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, notes that “we have been digitalising our services with initiatives such as the national business portal, which (Jamaica Promotions Corporation) JAMPRO manages”.
“This Ministry is also targeting several key pieces of legislation that govern manufacturing and export to effect changes, where needed, to spur increased economic activity, employment and growth,” Senator Hill said.
He was delivering the keynote address during the 13th Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) National Quality Awards Ceremony and Banquet, held recently at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Senator Hill cited ongoing inter-Ministerial collaborations aimed at ensuring that Jamaica’s systems, processes, and trade agreements facilitate cross-border commercial activity and ease of doing business.
Key among the stakeholders are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.
Senator Hill, who recently led a 38-member Jamaican delegation, largely comprising private-sector representatives, on a business mission to Guyana, informed that collaborative opportunities in agribusiness, financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing, and professional services were explored.
This, he said, “is one of the many activities we are undertaking, through JAMPRO and the other agencies in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, as we seek to expand the reach of our manufacturers and service providers, by providing them with new markets for their goods and services”.
Senator Hill noted that even as the Government continues to foster an enabling business environment, the private sector must commit to making manufactured products for export.
He encouraged them to “go and search for overseas markets in the region and across the world”.
“Now, more than ever, we must capitalise on our proximity to North America. In this very room [where we are meeting] should be the next set of investors for nearshoring, as well as those who will commit to advancing the global services sector for Jamaica. We have seen remarkable growth in this industry, with approximately 55,000 persons employed to more than 70 companies across the country, and earnings of approximately US$2 billion, according to the industry association,” the Minister added.
Senator Hill challenged entrepreneurs with capital and access to this resource to utilise best practices and be guided by internationally recognised service standards, to scale up their operations and expand their export reach.
“To consistently achieve… excellence, Jamaica must strongly encourage new entrepreneurs to create the foundation of their operations on clear, strong standards. A standards-driven organisation will lead to a standards-focused economy, which will impact this country’s gross domestic product in a very positive and sustainable way,” he added.
The Minister further stated that “even as you expand your operations, go one degree more, and implement International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 standards”.
“These are the standards that confirm to your potential business partners that you provide good-quality service and that you do so consistently,” he maintained.
Senator Hill said the BSJ, which falls under the Ministry, has standards in place to provide businesses with support related to risk and energy management, and social responsibility, “as you navigate the constant changes and uncertainties of the current and future dynamic economic landscape”.
“Jamaica’s certification services are being accessed by entities in the region to help their businesses stand above those which offer merely the same services without BSJ-accredited standards,” he added.
Persons may access these services by contacting BSJ affiliate, the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ), to have their organisations certified.
Senator Hill assured that the Ministry is committed to working with businesses to enhance the international standards in the entrepreneurial space where they operate.
“This Minister, in the ‘Ministry of Business’, will be your champion locally and internationally as we seek to build a really strong economy, with private business collaboration and drive, to produce much better and sustained economic growth and employment for our country and the Jamaican people,” he said.