Increased productivity critical to country’s prosperity, says Minister Shaw

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon Audley Shaw, has emphasized the importance of employees’ engagement in the workplace in order to increase productivity in the workforce.

Speaking at the Jamaica Employers’ Federation’s (JEF) 36th annual Business and Workplace Convention and Expo, held at Moon Palace Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios on June 8, Minister Shaw said that the country’s prosperity depends on not just the number of persons who are employed but their level of productivity.

Whether as government, managers, or supervisors, Minister Shaw said our goal must be to lead the development of an enabling business environment by providing and encouraging opportunities for the workforce to retool for their personal development. This, he said, will also benefit them as employers.

“The approach must be to create the right conditions, a more cohesive, harmonious, and conducive working environment for all members of the organization; one that will enable them to give of their best each day, one that fosters motivation to contribute to organisational success, with an enhanced sense of their own well-being, said Minister Shaw.

The industry and commerce minister commended the JEF for selecting the theme ‘The Challenge of Change’, which highlights the need to place workers at the centre of our aspirations as a country in order to increase productivity, economic growth and development.

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