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State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, is calling for entrepreneurs to come forward and invest in the build-out of new space for the Montego Bay Free Zone. The State Minister said the investment could be “through public-private partnerships, or otherwise." Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams was making her contribution to the ongoing 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House, on...

Chairman of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) Advisory Board, Eugene Ffolkes, says Jamaica must begin to strategically position itself to take full advantage of the lucrative global creative industry. “Jamaica has long been a hotbed for creative and cultural industries but we have not managed, to date, to maximise the full potential or significantly monetise this industry,” he stated....

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has pledged to do "all that is necessary" to ensure the completion of the final phase of the long-awaited Patent and Design Act, in the shortest possible timeframe. He said passage of the legislation is essential in satisfying international obligations, and the country could face trade sanctions for failure to implement...

The Government of Jamaica is taking steps to protect Reggae and all other aspects of the country’s national heritage through available intellectual property strategies and mechanisms, said Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton. He was speaking on Thursday (July 12) at the launch of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office’s, 'e-JIPO' digitisation programme,held at the Jamaica Promotions Corporation’s...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the Government is serious about changing Jamaica’s image as a place to do business.  He noted that his Ministry is working assiduously on a number of initiatives geared at achieving this goal. [Related Story: JIPO Launches Digitisation Programme, "e-JIPO"] Among them, he said, is improving the country’s ranking in the...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the government is working assiduously to complete amendments to the Copyright  Act. He said this will result in Jamaica being compliant with its Treaty obligations, having signed the World Intellectual Property Organisation's (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty. "These treaties are commonly known as the Internet...

The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) has launched its cutting edge 'e-JIPO' digitisation programme for the conversion of some 30,000 files to digital format, making them available online to clients locally and overseas. The project will be executed in four phases over a three-year period at a projected cost of $8 million. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony...

Minister of  Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the strategic approach towards exporting to China, should focus on “high value added, niche market products that China does not produce." Mr. Hylton pointed out that China’s growing domestic market, with its diverse segments across its regions, offers opportunities for Jamaican export manufacturing sector. He cited Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says that approximately 29 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) earnings go toward paying for oil, and insists that it is time for the nation to improve its energy efficiency. The Minister added that at times, the country’s oil bill exceeds its export earnings, and cited the high...

Earnings from exports of manufactured goods increased by 14.3 per cent in 2011, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has said.   He said that the total value of exports from the sector was US $739.2 million, increasing from US$ $646.7 million in 2010. The Minister, who made the disclosure  at a planning workshop held on Friday...

Minister of State for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, says that the staging of food festivals hold great potential for the country’s agro-processing industry. “By this, we are talking about activities that add value to agricultural materials and which can include a vast array of Jamaican fruits and vegetables, many of which are now being underutilised and wasted,”...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, has welcomed the launch of Anbell Trade Exchange Limited (ATX), which will facilitate a  barter system for Jamaican companies and professionals. The exchange will be membership based, enlisting companies that agree to barter with one another, by trading goods and services in exchange for trade credit or 'trade dollars.' It will...