GoJ building better business environment with new reforms

The Government of Jamaica (GoJ) has launched its ‘Building Better Business, Together’ communications campaign to increase public awareness of numerous reforms that have been implemented to improve the experience of doing business in Jamaica.

The business reforms agenda, a result of collaborative and partnership efforts among government ministries, Departments, and Agencies, is spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and coordinated by Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), through its management of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).

The implementation of reforms across the government has received substantial support from the Foundations for Competitiveness and Growth Project (FCGP), which is funded by a loan from the World Bank and managed by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), as well as other sources of funding, including the Government of Jamaica.

The reforms, which include new or amended laws, policies, processes and systems, impact businesses of all sizes, and are intended to elevate the country’s economic performance by positioning Jamaica as the preferred location for business and investment. These reforms involve upgraded and digitised processes that enable individuals to conduct transactions online, such as business registration, electricity application, property registration, and obtaining permits and licenses for various industries, with a plan for ongoing enhancements and functionalities to be deployed in the future.

“The Government of Jamaica has partnered with the business community to ensure that we create meaningful, first-world solutions that positively impact their ability to engage with us and make doing business better in general. The ecosystem we have developed and implemented is a direct result of close consultation with our public and private sector stakeholders and it continues to evolve and improve,” stated the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill. “This shift in our operations and engagement benefits the business community and also represents a significant stride towards heightened productivity and the economic growth of our nation.”

“Some business reforms are still underway, while others are being implemented on a phased basis such as the Jamaica Business Gateway, which was introduced by JAMPRO in 2023, as well as, continued enhancements to the AMANDA and the phased roll-out of Jamaica Development Applications Portal (JDAP) systems across the various Municipal Corporations.

This national campaign is geared at ensuring the highest level of public awareness of the reforms and encouraging more members of our business community to use the government’s services available, so that they can begin to see the reduction in cost and/or time in doing business with the government,” stated Shullette Cox, JAMPRO President.

Cox acknowledged the multi-agency cooperation that allowed for the extensive undertaking where JAMPRO’s role was to support the implementing agencies in operationalising the agreed reforms.

“We must commend the teams in the ministries, departments and agencies, who work tirelessly to implement these reforms and improve their processes. Together with the members and partners of the NCC, as well as the private sector in general, their efforts are critical in improving Jamaica’s business climate.”

Source: Loop News