Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill.
Kingston, Jamaica – The Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce (MIIC) hosted the National Entrepreneurship Policy Consultation Workshop and Micro Business Pitch Competition yesterday, attracting over 140 attendees. The event, which took place at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston, aimed to foster collaboration, and share valuable insights for shaping the future of Jamaica's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
The workshop focused on revising the draft National Entrepreneurship Policy, providing a platform for stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and policymakers, to engage in constructive dialogue and share valuable insights. This collaborative effort will ensure the policy reflects the latest trends and effectively addresses the evolving needs of the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSMEs) sector in Jamaica.
Running concurrently with the workshop was the Micro Business Pitch Competition. With 89 applications received, the competition showcased the diverse range of talent and innovative ideas from across Jamaica’s various industries driving the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Following a rigorous selection process, 35 businesses were shortlisted and 10 businesses from the manufacturing, agriculture, and education industries emerged victorious. Five winners received $300,000 each. They are Blue Banyan Books, Di Natural Bulk and Packaging Limited, Jesse’s Gifts and Décor, Jireh Farms and Mosa Estate. Five consolation prize winners received $100,000 each, namely Edunomic Limited, JTM Wholistic Care, Wi Jammin Caribbean Foods, Camgar Farms and Waa Gwan Cafe.
Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment, and Commerce, commented on the day's events, noting that “the National Entrepreneurship Policy Consultation workshop and Micro Business Pitch Competition represents a significant milestone in supporting our MSMEs. The consultations held offered a platform to explore solutions that will create a more conducive business environment, encouraging productivity and prosperity. We must underscore the importance of increasing our productivity by improving our adaptability to technological innovation and improving the quality of our products, which directly impacts our competitiveness, growth potential, export readiness and the MSME sectors contribution to economic growth."
Source: MIIC
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The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is described as Jamaica's "Business Ministry." It's mandate is to lead the development of policies that will create growth and jobs, while achieving social inclusion and consumer protection. The Ministry, working its stakeholders is primarily responsible for business policy development, monitoring and evaluation, while giving direction and oversight to a cluster of implementing departments and agencies.
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