40 years of stellar service

IT IS with great pleasure that I use this opportunity to congratulate the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) in achieving 40 years of existence through stellar service in the areas of investment and promoting a competitive and productive environment in Jamaica’s post-Independence.

The PSOJ was formed in a period when the role of the private sector as the main engine of growth in the economy was questioned in some quarters. This role has since been reasserted and confirmed.

Since its establishment in 1976, the PSOJ has widened its membership to include the small business and micro-enterprise sectors which are the key industries for local investment, job creation and the engine for growth of the Jamaican economy.

The PSOJ must be commended for launching Jamaica’s first corporate governance MSME Code of Conduct, the first in the entire Caribbean region. The code provides guidelines for MSMEs, enhancing businesses, strengthening transparency, accountability and efficiency, as well as facilitating investment opportunities. The PSOJ has been a constant advocate for the implementation of appropriate public policy that enables strong, sustainable private sector-led economic growth and development, while seeking to direct national policy issues to positively impact our political and social cultures.

As we reflect on 40 years of accomplishment by the PSOJ, which was first led by the Honourable Carlton Alexander, we must, as a collective community, re-establish the 2030 Vision for Jamaica by working in partnership with the public sector and our international partners in attaining this vision. I wish the PSOJ success in all activities as you celebrate your 40th anniversary.

AUDLEY SHAW Minister of Finance and the Public Service