Local Craft Vendors Being Equipped to Tap into Global Handicraft Market

The Government is equipping stakeholders in the local craft sector to claim a greater share of the lucrative global handicraft market.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, said the international market was valued at US$268.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$467.6 billion by 2028.

The Caribbean accounts for an estimated US$247 million in craft-related business.

Minister Hill, who was addressing a vendor engagement event and training session at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square, St. James, on Tuesday (February 18), said Jamaica must improve services and quality of products to claim a larger share of the global craft market.

As such, he said that capacity-building programmes are being implemented to strengthen offerings in the sector.

“These include a train-the-trainer’s workshop. We need to have people training all the time because the world is changing. If we are not on top of it, we’re not going to be able to compete,” he contended.

In addition, he said that a Craft & Coffee workshop will be held in March to help artisans tap into the global markets.

A partnership between the St. James Municipal Corporation and Mastercard, the vendor engagement and training included the unveiling of a digital payment system for craft vendors at the Harbour Street and Old Fort craft markets.

The new system will enable seamless transactions when tourists purchase craft items from vendors.

“This is revolutionary. Just bring your MasterCard and you can pay for Jamaican craft,” said Senator Hill.

He noted that the digital payment system is expected to increase sales and revenue for local artisans who rely on tourism for their livelihood.

In the meantime, the Minister reiterated the critical role of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Jamaica’s economy, noting that these entities account for 80 per cent of jobs in the country with approximately 400,000 registered businesses.

MSMEs, he noted, represent more than 97 per cent of tax-paying businesses in Jamaica, thus making them crucial drivers of economic growth.

“This is the mindset we need, building businesses, creating jobs, producing more, and driving our economic growth. Everything you do must be about that if you’re in the economy, and to do that you have to export,” Senator Hill said.

The event included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the St. James Municipal Corporation and Mastercard, as well as digital and financial literacy training for the craft traders to better position themselves in the evolving marketplace.