The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is encouraging large corporations to play an integral role in strengthening the country’s business ecosystem by mentoring micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). As Jamaica’s premier business development support agency, the JBDC provides a comprehensive range of services, including advisory support, training and access to market information. However, mentorship presents an unparalleled advantage, offering...

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) is working to reactivate its Aggregates Technical Committee. This forms part of efforts to address growing concerns regarding the condition of a number of roads islandwide. Senior BSJ Standards Development Officer, Shane Slater, told JIS News that the committee will comprise representatives of key stakeholder groups, including government agencies, construction and engineering professionals, academia...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, says he wants to see more micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange this year. He also urged MSMEs to take advantage of the recent amendment of the Income Tax Act, which allows companies to raise up to $750 million...

The Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) Business Roadshows for 2025 kick off on Thursday, January 16, at the Twickenham Park Church of the Open Bible in St. Catherine, commencing 9:00 a.m. Thursday’s staging is the first of three already slated for the year by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, which spearheads the initiative. Additionally, grant funding for...

For the year 2024, the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) prevented $250 million worth of goods from being placed on the shelves in the marketplace, which were found to be in breach of established standards. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCRA, Dr. Lorice Edwards Brown, told JIS News that the NCRA conducted more than 6,000 inspections of products...

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) will host its 20th annual National Quality Awards (NQA) Ceremony and Banquet on Thursday, January 30, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Since its inception in 2004, the NQA Programme has stood as Jamaica’s premier quality system-based awards initiative, celebrating exceptional achievements in quality management systems across the manufacturing, service, agricultural and small business sectors....

The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) will be hosting a week of activities from January 12 to 17, to commemorate its first anniversary as a statutory body. The NCRA is responsible for registering pre-packaged food establishments, registering importers and local manufacturers of goods for which compulsory standards exist, inspecting goods at the ports of entry and in the domestic...