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KINGSTON — Jamaica Customs is on schedule to become an Executive Agency by April next year, ushering in significant reductions in turn-around time, improved customer service and cost recovery for more of the services offered. This was disclosed by Director of Operations at the Norman Manley International Airport, a major operational unit of Customs, Florence Howe, at the 41st Annual...

KINGSTON — The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) has strengthened its enforcement mechanisms on penalties for companies which are downright delinquent, having received its very first Order to commit a Director to prison for failure to file annual returns. Compliance Manager/Attorney-at-law at the COJ, Heather Mae Sutherland, explained to JIS News that "on October 27, the COJ scored a major...

KINGSTON — Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Michael Stern, is encouraging Jamaicans to build and maintain community groups, in order to receive funding for sustainable projects. Speaking recently in Smithville, North West Clarendon, where the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), broke ground for the rehabilitation of the Top Quarter Road at a cost...

KINGSTON — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has indicated that the Government's Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) policy could be ready by the end of the year. “This policy is long in making, but I think we are close to a final document,” Dr. Tufton said at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding...

KINGSTON — Government's thrust to help small businesses ramp up their operational standards and output, has been further advanced with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), and the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises  (MSME) Alliance. The MoU, which was signed yesterday (November 1), at the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce,...

KINGSTON — The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is exploring the cloud computing industry, to enter into a contract that will mitigate potential risks, according to Permanent Secretary, Reginald Budhan. Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a...

KINGSTON — Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan, is reiterating Government’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship to foster job creation and stimulate economic growth. “Entrepreneurship is an important factor in our economic development and this is reflected in our efforts to improve opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” Mr. Budhan stated. He was...

KINGSTON — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that local exporters should become compliant with the new regulations under the United States’ (US) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), to enhance the quality and competitiveness of their products. “It is an opportunity for you to become more competitive, to boost your firm’s level of operation...

KINGSTON — Jamaica's private sector must now seize the opportunities flowing from the development and expansion of the country's ports and other transport infrastructure designed "to foster the seamless movement of cargo by sea, air, road and rail." This challenge came from Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), Lt. Col Oscar Derby, during his presentation to the...

NEW YORK — In the wake of the announcement by Prime Minister Bruce Golding that he would not be leading the Jamaica Labour Party into the next election, Jamaica recently demonstrated that it was still open for business by participating in an investment forum hosted by renowned business and finance news network Bloomberg. The forum was organized by Jamaica's Consul...

KINGSTON — The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) is moving to provide Geographical Indications (GIs) protection for authentic Jamaican brands such as Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica Jerk, and Jamaica Rum. Executive Director, JIPO, Carol Simpson, said the move would pave the way for registration of these products in other parts of the world, such as within the European Union. She...

The Government is moving apace to have the island's National Building Act approved, says Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton. "The first draft of this Act has been completed and reviewed by the broad based Building Code Implementation Steering Committee. The comments from the Committee are to be submitted to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for deliberation...