Green pledges to fast-track manufacturing growth strategy
MINISTER OF State in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) Floyd Green has committed to expedite the manufacturing growth strategy. The strategy will guide the expansion of the manufacturing sector.
Green indicated that he had discussions with portfolio minister Audley Shaw regarding the strategy that will be tabled in Parliament in the next two to three months.
Green and members of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) held talks on Monday to iron out issues relating to manufacturing and export.
LOW-BUDGET FINANCING
The team from the JMEA, which included Metry Seaga, president; Stephen Dawkins, vice-president; Imega Breese-McNab, executive director; and Brian Pengelley, immediate past president, asked Green to examine the issue, of low-budget financing for manufacturing entities. Green said that he would address the issue, noting that the use of unclaimed funds in banks was still under consideration. The state minister also said that he would be revisiting the new loan facility, through the Export Import Bank to ensure that it was at the most competitive rate.
Green said that he was also seeking to resolve matters relating to factory spaces for production that affect local manufacturers. He also committed to meeting with the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ) to see how they could jointly examine an approach towards making affordable spaces available for manufacturers.
He urged the JMEA to focus on exports and to see how it could ensure that its membership was taking advantage of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy and various world markets where Brand Jamaica products were highly favoured.