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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...

KINGSTON — The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) has been instructed to fast-track efforts to protect brand Jamaica in the area of rum through Geographical Indication (GI) registration. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Christopher Tufton, who made the revelation during a tour of the Spanish Town Road manufacturing and bottling facilities of J Wray and Nephew e yesterday...

KINGSTON — Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan, is recommending that insurance companies partner with the government to install additional speed cameras at strategic locations in an effort to curtail speeding and indiscipline on the nation's roads. Mr. Budhan noted that approximately 90 per cent of motor vehicle accidents in Jamaica can be attributed to the...

KINGSTON — Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan, says the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial in tackling aspects of the global economic downturn. "The SME sector plays a vital role in employment creation and income generation and is, therefore, critical for achieving sustainable growth in any country," Mr. Budhan declared. He was...

MONTEGO BAY — Jamaica's efforts to create more jobs for its citizens got a major boost Thursday September 8, with the official opening of the Sir Richard Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, in Bogue, Montego Bay, which is committed to growing businesses in the Caribbean. The centre, established by British billionaire, Sir Richard Branson, at a cost of some US$3.5 million,...

KINGSTON — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has assured wood furniture manufacturers that he will seek to increase export of their products, to drive development of the sector, and expand employment. "We have exported approximately US$170, 000 worth of wooden furniture over the last year and, at the same time, we imported approximately US$17 million....

“Many of the top business persons that I have spoken to, now tell me that the environment for doing business in Jamaica has never been better,” Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, told a Public Sector Monitoring Committee (PSMC) seminar on Tuesday September 6. "They say this is the best macro-economic environment they have...

KINGSTON — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, is urging companies exporting food into the international market to get certified. He said that the United States (US) has given notice, through legislation passed earlier this year that food exporters must be certified to international standards for their goods to be allowed into the country. The Minister...