JAMPRO Re-Opens Office in Canada

Jampro, formerly Jamaica Trade and Invest, has re-opened its office in Canada after a five-and-a-half-year absence.
The office, managed by Regional Manager, Robert Kerr and with support from Senior Consulting Officer, Nardia McKenzie, will service all of North America and is situated at the Jamaican Consulate General in Toronto.
Speaking to JIS News recently, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, said the re-opening of the North American office and the London division two years ago, will serve to re-engage Jampro internationally.
“Jampro will be seeking to promote and introduce Jamaican products to potential buyers and also to try to encourage Canadian businesses to look at Jamaica favourably as a location to invest, especially as far as the Jamaican Diaspora is concerned,” he said.
Noting that the Diaspora has a critical role to play in the recovery of the Jamaican economy, he said that the worldwide financial crisis will soon be over and “we don’t want to lose the opportunity of laying a solid foundation for the future.”
“If we’re able to look at Jamaica as our home, no matter where in the world we live, and try to give as much help and assistance, both in terms of technical expertise and physical investment, then I’m pretty sure it will advance the process of recovery,” Mr. Samuda stated.
Stating that the climate for doing business in Jamaica is improving, he informed that, “we now have a one-stop type provision for importers and we’re looking to have that for exporters as well.”
He said that Jamaica is also trying to introduce the model that is used in Singapore, but because of financial constraints that will take a longer time to come on stream.
Jamaica’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Canada, Sheila Sealy Monteith, welcomed the re-opening of the Jampro office, which she said, will “re-institutionalise the presence of Jampro here.”
Regional Manager, Robert Kerr, told JIS News that his office will be focusing on three main sectors across Canada and the United States. These are manufacturing, creative industries and information and communication technology (ICT). Jampro will be utilising several types of technology to reach different industries and investors, including web-based seminars called webinars.