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Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) President, Diane Edwards, says implementation of the Global Logistics Hub Initiative is expected to significantly improve Jamaica’s global competitiveness by, among other things, providing greater access to markets and reducing attendant costs in this process.

Against this background, she underscores the need for a change in the approach to trade and export to one which is viewed from a global rather than a local perspective.

Speaking at the closing ceremony for JAMPRO’s Export Max development programme at the agency’s New Kingston offices on Thursday, January 23,

Mrs. Edwards cited discussions during the recently held two-day logistics hub symposium, which pointed to the fact that at least 50 per cent of Jamaican products exported can access external markets duty-free if the relevant trade agreements facilitating this process are adequately utilised.

“I think (it) shows the challenge and the long path that we have to tread. The key point about globalisation that came out…is, really, that… Jamaica has to get global. We have to not think local but we have to think global and act global. That’s the imperative that we have to follow,” she stated.

As such, Mrs. Edwards said it is important that the private sector make “greater efforts” to this end, citing the need for creating partnerships with the public sector.

“We have to support you more, but you have to do more. You have to export more, you have to build your capacity. So I would really suggest that people look closely at logistics, because logistics is a key element of competitiveness,” she added.

Mrs. Edwards pointed out that JAMPRO’s Export Max programme has provided targeted capacity building and marketing penetration support to the first 15 small and medium Jamaican export firms participating in the initiative, which commenced in 2011.

“I think there is a synergy between the two programmes (Export Max and logistics) that we have to start to work on and to exploit in order to develop our global marketing capacity. We have to…focus on the markets that we penetrate and we have to try to develop a share of those markets,” the JAMPRO President underscored.

Representatives of the companies participating in Export Max received awards and other presentations during Thursday’s closing ceremony.

Source: JIS

Published Date: January 24th, 2014