JAMPRO intensifies export development activities for SMEs

JAMPRO President Diane Edwards says the Agency is intensifying its export development activities to further boost the success of Jamaica’s non-traditional exports.

The promotions agency has made headway in hosting a series of exporter development seminars that address issues on pricing, logistics, marketing and export readiness for companies, and will later this month conclude its activites with a session highlighting the dos and don’ts of exporting.

It comes on the heels of efforts by Jampro to develop the castor industry while encouraging the development of new products.

“Transporting your products to overseas markets – what exporters need to know” will be held on August 24, 2017, and is facilitated by Diaspora investor and logistics specialist Beverley Johnson, CEO and managing director of ISOCON-JLB International Ltd.

Jampro President Diane Edwards said that while the agency has been working with exporters for many years to increase Jamaica’s export sales, it has been making a more targeted effort to provide capacity-building opportunities for Jamaican manufacturers who are export-ready, and those who are already exporting.

“We have identified key issues that are decreasing our potential to export. Incorrect labelling, lack of marketing strategy, lack of knowledge of international product standards, and lack of funding and productivity are probably the most common issues that we have identified amongst exporters,” Edwards said.

“Therefore, we have been making a targeted effort to address the issues, and this includes working with partners like the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, the Jamaica Exporters’ Association, the Jamaica Productivity Centre, and the Development Bank of Jamaica,” she continued.

Edwards added that Jampro has realised through its export development programme, Export Max, and other initiatives that these interventions work, and the agency hopes to continue to support exporters as far as its resources will allow.

“Exporters need Jamaica’s full support to build our economy, and we plan to lead this charge by fully executing our export development strategy,” she reasoned.

Jampro is an agency of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation that works to drive Jamaica’s economic development through growth in investment and export.

Source: Jamaica Observer

Published Date: August 23rd, 2017