Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, says the local bamboo industry is now poised for growth as a result of years of work to make it sustainable. She says that there is a ready market, locally and abroad, for bamboo products, adding that the industry has benefits that can help boost the...

A ferry service for visitors and locals on the island’s north coast is to be introduced by February 2015. The US$30 million investment is being made by the principals of Paradise Express Ferry, LLC, from the United States, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) at the JAMPRO Business Auditorium in Kingston, on...

Employees at the Montego Bay Free Zone now have an Engagement Centre to facilitate their non-work activities, such as Internet access and resting between shifts, in a comfortable environment. The first of its kind at a local free zone, the centre which will benefit 7, 200 workers, is newly refurbished, covering 630 square feet. It is divided into four sections...

Industry, Investment, and Commerce, Hon Anthony Hylton, says Jamaica’s workforce must be prepared for the projected expansion in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and other related sectors, as Jamaica grows as a service economy. Speaking at the official opening of BPO firm, the Elephant Group’s expanded facilities in the Montego Bay Free Zone on May 2,...

Industry, Investment, and Commerce Minister, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has lauded the management of the Montego Bay Free Zone for securing 100 per cent occupancy of its offices and factory rental spaces during 2013/14, resulting in US$121.9 million (approximately $13.4 billion) in foreign exchange earnings, and more than 7,000 jobs being created. He notes that the figures surpassed the projected 98...

Industry, Investment, and Commerce Minister, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has endorsed the partnership between the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), and Gas Products Limited (GASPRO), to stage the Street Style Cook Up Competition. The competition will be initially held in Southside/Parade Gardens, Central Kingston, on May 17. The initiative is a community integration programme, which will be undertaken over the next...

The country’s testing facilities have gained further international recognition with the recent certification of the food testing chemistry laboratory, at the Bureau of Standards (BSJ), by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC). State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, notes that some 70 markets across the globe have full confidence in Jamaica’s testing systems. “It means...

Spirited debate from students of Kingston College, Wolmer’s Boys and the Hydel Group of Schools, marked the opening of the Collegiate Forum of the Business of Sport International Conference. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, who was the keynote speaker at the April 30 event, said the forum was an investment in the youth, the world’s greatest...

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is set to stage its annual Small Business Exposition and Conference on Thursday, May 22, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Now in its seventh year, the event will feature an impressive mix of local and international business leaders; trade support and facilitation advisors; wealth advisors and business development specialists, who will be...