JMEA wants Gov’t to engage more small businesses
THE JAMAICA Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (JMEA) is calling for greater inclusion of micro and small businesses in the government procurement process, and JMEA President Metry Seaga says the offset and set-aside regimes under the new Procurement Regulations, which can facilitate this, are still to be put in place by the State.
“These regimes provide a real opportunity for the Government to catapult growth through procurement from micro, small and medium enterprises, given that they are the largest purchaser of goods and services,” Seaga said following the Kingston launch of the JMEA’s Jamaica International Exhibition (JIE) at the Spanish Court Hotel last Wednesday.
The JIE, a multisectoral trade show, is scheduled to take place at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from May 30 to June 1.
“We cannot claim that we are seriously tackling the country’s high debt and low growth rate without aggressively addressing this issue,” he added, pointing out that the Statistical Institute of Jamaica reports that expenditure on imports was over US$6 billion in 2018, an almost 11 per cent increase over the same period in 2017.
“We must not forget that our overarching goal should be to turn Jamaica from an importing and consuming country into a producing and exporting hub,” he noted.
The president made the comments against the backdrop of what he said was the
“commendable tax reprieve for small businesses” recently announced by Finance Minster Dr Nigel Clarke. While lauding the Government for the tax breaks, Seaga said the productive sector was still awaiting the small-business procurement incentive.
He pointed out that the success of the ‘Buy Jamaican’ strategy rests with a better business relationship among producers, farmers, the entertainment and creative industries, the tourism sector, the Government and the entire business community.