Govt. Committed to Developing Successful Export Strategy

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the Government is committed to building a successful export strategy to improve Jamaica’s competitiveness on the global market.

Mr. Hylton was speaking at the opening of the National Export Strategy (NES) Engagement Series, held at Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) Business Auditorium in New Kingston, on September 14. 

He pointed out that the NES  is an essential component to the government's plan to improve the export sector, and that  the key objective of this effort is to improve the conditions for export development by bolstering efficiency and boost the competiveness of exports.

"The NES is a unified strategic initiative that seeks to maximise the export sector’s direct contribution to the economic and social development of Jamaica," he explained.

The strategy is being developed under the leadership of the Ministry, with technical assistance from the International Trade Centre (ITC), and partial funding from the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP) – a joint initiative of the government and the European Union.

In the meantime, the Minister informed that JAMPRO has also advanced a number of initiatives and has intensified its efforts to develop strategies aimed at transforming the export sector.

He noted that the focus of the government’s export strategy is to improve the competitiveness of Jamaican firms, and increasing penetration of domestically produced goods and services in the global market.

"Significant emphasis is being placed on export development, export promotion activities and the development of supply chain infrastructure," Mr. Hylton informed.

He said that the vision of the NES, therefore, is to make Jamaica the place of choice for creative, innovative goods and services of exceptional quality.

"The goal is to improve our export performance by advancing the competitiveness of firms and sectors, while enhancing the business and trade environment," the Minister said.

The strategy is being championed jointly by JAMPRO and the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA).

"One of the goals is to achieve greater diversification of the export sector by attaining higher value addition in our priority sectors, increasing the current value of non-traditional exports of goods by 2013, through increased volumes and higher value addition," the Minister said.