Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw (right), in discussion with (from left) President and Founder, Countrystyle Community Tourism Network, Marguerite McKintyre-Pike; Chairman, Public Relations and Membership, Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ), Garnett M. Reid; Chairman, Caribbean MSME Conference Committee, Dr. Blossom O’Meally-Nelson; and President, SBAJ, Hugh Johnson, at the Caribbean Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) Conference 2019, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on April 17. The SBAJ is hosting its 2nd Regional MSME Conference April 16-18. This year’s conference, held under the theme “Improving Sustainability Through Resource Development” is promoting cross-border cooperation and links between upper-tier enterprises and SMEs.
Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon Audley Shaw, says that through the Trade Facilitation Task Force’s efforts to gradually reduce the unnecessary and burdensome ‘red-tape’ associated with regulatory compliance in the trading environment, the Ministry has received the green light from the Cabinet for the removal of specific permits and licences currently being issued by the Trade Board Limited (TBL), which are no longer relevant.
“This is being done within the context of Jamaica’s commitment under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), to reduce the overall time and cost to trade and create a more agile business and trading environment. The benefits that will be derived from the removal of these irrelevant permit applications will position our investors and producers on the tarmac for take-off and complements well, our other initiatives such as the Jamaica Trade Information Portal, which is also slated to go live in May,” Minister Shaw said.
Addressing the Caribbean MSME Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, Mr. Shaw informed that incrementally, the Government is making it easier to conduct business and that The Jamaica Trade Information Portal will bring export and import related regulatory information and step-by-step guidance on a single platform to allow traders, investors and consumers a smoother interface with the regulatory and procedural steps needed to facilitate their business, ultimately driving our collective economic growth.
He pointed out that the portal will also provide the responsiveness and agility our producers and service providers need to become more competitive in the global market.
“Our MSMEs and large producers are innovating and so must we, as policymakers, so that we do not stymie this phenomenal potential that can only lift us all. As government, our objective must be to create the environment for the private sector to drive growth. The MSME sector is indispensable to achieving not only growth, but also to achieving broad-based and inclusive growth, added Minister Shaw.
The regional conference is being held from April 16-18, 2019 under the theme, ‘Improving Sustainability Through Resource Development’.
