2009-07-02

JTI/ITC MoU to Support National Export Strategy

The Government’s investment promotion agency, Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Trade Centre (ITC), to support efforts to promote the national Export Strategy among local stakeholders.

The Geneva, Switzerland-based ITC, a joint agency of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations, enables small business export success in developing countries by providing trade development solutions to the private sector, trade support institutions and policy-makers.

The Centre’s work focuses on product and market development; development of trade and support services; trade information; human resource development; international purchasing and supply management; needs assessment and programme design for trade promotion.

Jamaica’s National Export Strategy (NES) aims to achieve export-led growth of the Jamaica economy by improving export performance in eight key sectors: agro-processing (food and beverages); aquaculture; coffee; information and communications technology (ICT); minerals and mining; education; entertainment; and fashions.

The MoU, which was signed recently by JTI’s deputy president, Lisa Bell, and director of the ITC’s Bureau of Policy and Programme, Friedrich von Kirchbach, establishes the framework for the NES communications plan, and will facilitate financial support for the communications programme, which is being rolled out by JTI in collaboration with the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA).

“We intend to be systematic in executing this communications plan to the exporter community,” said JTI’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mark Thomas.

He said that it was imperative that local exporters and would-be exporters be clear about the goals of the NES, so that they can dovetail their operations around the strategy. 

The ITC has also been providing technical assistance for the formulation of the strategy, the preliminary version of which was tabled by Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister, Karl Samuda, during his presentation in the 2009/10 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives in April.