Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are now able to access $675 million in additional funding support from the Government, under the new 4.75 per cent MSME Loan Programme. The facility, which was officially launched on Thursday (June 24), is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, through portfolio agency the National Export-Import (EX-IM) Bank, in tandem...

The Government of Jamaica has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL) for the entity to use end-of-life pneumatic tyres in the cement-production process. Under the arrangement, CCCL will convert used tyres at the landfills into an alternative source of fuel, thereby reducing costs and making a positive impact on the environment. Prime Minister, the...

The Global Services Sector (GSS) Project will host its inaugural GSS Virtual Talent Hub Fair on Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 9 am to 5 pm, under the theme "Let's Talk Skills, Jobs, and Opportunities in the GSS." Through the Talent Fair, the GSS Project seeks to provide a virtual platform that will mirror a real career day while informing...

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) will be hosting a virtual three-part lecture series in June, under the theme ‘Festival of the Cloth –Conversations Across Continents, Cultural Retention and Mergers in Products and Processes’. Chief Executive Officer, JBDC, Valerie Veira, said the initiative is a part of the organisation’s efforts to stimulate the textile ecosystem and to encourage local designers...

Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masaya Fujiwara, has hailed the country’s use of the “smart city” concept in developing the special economic zones (SEZs) into a logistics hub as “interesting” and “ambitious”. “Smart city approach… has the potential to enhance competitiveness, ensure economic growth, thus [helping] to resolve social problems such as improving security and the employment situation,” he...

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) is reminding manufacturers that they must seek permission to use the country’s national symbols to sell or market a product. “Most manufacturers or sellers tend to use the national flag. Now when this is used, we ask that you seek permission, which is a letter from the Office of the Prime Minister to say...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, has emphasised the importance of accreditation for effective response to major environmental protection issues in the Caribbean region. He was addressing the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) webinar, titled, ‘Climate Change: Impacts on Regional Economic Growth and Development’, in recognition of World Accreditation Day, on June 9. “I urge all...