Tufton Urges Greater Collaboration to Enhance Pace of Entrepreneurial Activities

MONTEGO BAY — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has challenged members of the business community to ensure that there is greater collaboration and partnerships between stakeholders within the sector, in an effort to enhance the pace of entrepreneurial activities.

"We cannot afford as a country, to have ‘hold ups’ in the implementation of entrepreneurial activities that are attributed to us who are supposed to be the facilitators of entrepreneurial (projects). That’s the approach that we are taking.  We are taking the position as a country and as a government, that whatever will enhance or hasten the pace of entrepreneurial thinking and risk-taking, is what is good for the country. That’s what will create the jobs and that’s what will create the expanded economic activities," Dr. Tufton said.

He was addressing members of the business community at the Ministry’s official launch of ‘Fast Track Services’, held at the Wexford Hotel on November 17.

The Minister said that in the near future, the Ministry will be taking drastic steps to change the general perception of the business environment, especially by investors and other essential interests, with the launch of a special unit.

“The unit is being currently set up within JAMPRO, in collaboration with other agencies of government, including the Office of the Prime Minister and in particular, Minister (Daryl) Vaz, who was given the responsibility of  managing the whole interface between the clients and government agencies generally. The unit is going to essentially look at that ‘doing business’ report, look at each item, break down each item in terms of what are the issues of concern to the investor or the entrepreneur, and co-ordinate an effort to improve each of those variables going forward,” he said.

He challenged stakeholders to co-operate and work with the Ministry and all its agencies, so there can be greater partnership and collaboration within the business community.

"I have instructed the Consumer Affairs Commission, which falls under the Ministry, to begin a process of conducting surveys of our clients who utilise the agencies of the Ministry, to do our own internal consumer satisfaction examination, in order to, on an ongoing basis, review how our clients view the quality of the service that is being provided in the respective office,” Dr. Tufton said.

He  argued that conducting the reviews are important, as it is imperative that the entire agencies dealing with the business community become more business friendly and more user friendly, thus reducing all possible hurdles, real or imagined.

“The greatest facilitator of jobs is not for the government to go out and hire people … the biggest role that a government can play in facilitating jobs is to establish the environment, the framework, both macro-economic and social. That’s what we are trying to do and we ask for your participation in that process,” the Minister told the audience.

By Glenis Rose, JIS Reporter