28 Million Euro Assistance Programme for Private Sector

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has announced a 28.7 Million Euro development assistance programme for the private sector to fund business development projects including the preparation of business plans, restructuring of production systems, market studies and promotion. Private sector entities are invited to submit proposals for assistance under the programme which is a joint initiative between the government and the European Union, between May 31 and the end of July.
In making the announcement at the opening of the new headquarters for Manpower and Maintenance Services Limited located at Eureka Road in Kingston on Thursday (May 12), Mr. Patterson said the facility was available to private sector groups including the Small Business Association and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association. He said assistance would also be provided to public sector entities including MIDA and the Self Start Fund.
Prime Minister Patterson commended Mrs. Audrey Hinchcliffe the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Manpower and Maintenance Services Limited for staying the course over the past fifteen years since the company’s establishment. He noted that services was one of the fastest growing sectors worldwide and that this was an areas that Jamaica was seeking to actively exploit in the search for niches in which the country can be competitive.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy in this regard, stating that it would not only provide a single economic space but would allow Jamaica to successfully withstand the forces of globalization and trade liberalization. Mr. Patterson urged other private sector entities to prepare to take advantage of the expanded markets that the CSME will offer.