JEA to Set Up Export Centre/Business Information Point in St. Thomas

An Export Centre/Business Information Point (EC/BIP) will be officially opened at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority’s (RADA) St. Thomas parish office in Morant Bay on Thursday, January 29.
The EC/BIP is a component of the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which is a five-year project jointly funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Union.
A partnership involving the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA), the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) and Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), the project aims to positively impact national export performance and competitiveness, while providing standardised business information.
Eileen Donaldson, Manager of the EC/BIP, told JIS News that through the facility, farmers, exporters and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector will be able to access more readily, information on export and business-related information, to help support and grow their businesses.
“We expect that they will have the technical support, the technical information,” she stated, adding that the facility will provide products and services with market intelligence, price information, buyers’ information as well as import and export data on goods. Clients would also be able to do online business transactions and research.
A community business awareness forum will be held at the Village Green Restaurant, 12 Church Street, Morant Bay today (Jan. 22), to sensitise residents and business operators about the facility. The forum is being organised by the JEA in collaboration with RADA.
Mrs. Donaldson said there were plans to set up similar facilities at other RADA offices in Portland and St. Catherine.
Export centres have already been established at JEA’s main office, 1 Winchester Road, Kingston; the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative Association office in Manchester; RADA, St. Mary parish office; and the St. Elizabeth Co-operative Credit Union office.