Government to Reactivate Marketing Company in London

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Karl Samuda, has said that JANCo, a company which operated out of the Jamaican High Commission in London, England assisting Jamaican manufacturers market their products in Europe, is to be reactivated.
Mr. Samuda said that a search is on to identify a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the company, to direct and manage its operations.
“The purpose of the company would be, for those players who have a problem marketing their products, say a small designer or small agro-processor who wants to get products into the European market, we will undertake the cost of promoting those products through the company,” he explained.
“You do not have to individually spend a fortune to send your team to Europe, to go knocking on doors and convene meetings, because that is the purpose of the company,” he added.
Mr. Samuda made the announcement today ( March 26), while addressing the second in a series of Jamaica Trade and Invest business linkages forum, “Opportunities Jamaica 09”, being staged at the Half Moon Conference Centre, Montego Bay, St. James.
The forum aims to provide a medium through which small and medium sized enterprises, in the hotel and tourism industry, meet to boost their bottom-line through value added information sharing, business networking and demand based business matchmaking.
The Minister said that the plan is to get the company fully reactivated and operational by very early in the new financial year.
He said that thought is also being given to having the Jamaican Trade Commissioner to Europe taking responsibility for the company. But, he warned, Jamaican producers must become internationally competitive to be able to benefit from the operations of the company, and stay afloat.
Mr. Samuda went on to emphasise that not only should companies in manufacturing focus on producing items Jamaica is now importing, as substitutes, but equally important is that they must also produce for export.
“It’s a combination, it is not one or the other,” he said.