Gov’t to Establish Export Academy

• The Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce, through the Trade Board Limited, will be establishing an export academy. This facility is designed to provide free, online information and training for businesses, to boost their confidence to seek out export opportunities. Work on this facility is expected to commence in July 2023.
• Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement while delivering the keynote address during the opening ceremony for Expo Jamaica 2023 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, on Thursday (April 27). Meanwhile, Mr. Holness said, the Trade Board is working to digitise its services and initiatives, with the aim of supporting exporters and facilitating ease of access to its provisions.
• Other initiatives in the pipeline include the Step-Up initiative and a market intelligence and trade compliance information platform. Mr. Holness said this online resource will facilitate the registration of businesses around the world while adding that “the Trade Board is working to support exporters”. Noting recent data indicating a 6% increase in local manufacturing, the Prime Minister said this signals the sector’s revival.
• Expo Jamaica, the Caribbean’s trade show, made its return after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it connected local manufacturers, producers, tourism industry players, and service providers with 660 local and international buyers from almost 30 countries.
• “We have a broad-based manufacturing industry here in Jamaica and I am certain that as a result of this expo and the exposure, this broad base of Jamaica’s manufacturing will increase even greater,” Mr. Holness said.

(Source: JIS)