JAMAICA MANUFACTURERS Association kicked off its commemoration of Manufacturers' Week yesterday with president Clarence Clarke underscoring the role of the sector in national development at a church service held at Hope United Church, Kingston.
In an address at the service, Clarke noted that that sector accounts for 17 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and employs 70,000.
The jobs are a marked reduction of the 100,000 jobs that Clarke said the sector provided in its hey day, and a big source of revenue.
"The manufacturing sector is one of the major contributors to the Government's revenue, and in 2000 contributed approximately $10 billion in indirect taxes to the coffers," he said.
The week of activities, which began yesterday ends on Friday. Tomorrow there will be the launch of the Ex-Im Bank facility for manufacturers as well as a media briefing on the manufacturing sector at the Terra Nova Hotel at 3:00 p.m.
On Thursday, the JMA will host a joint workshop with the Jamaica Business Development Centre on the various facilities available to manufacturers at the JMA Secretariat on Duke Street.
Executives of the Association will also conduct visits to the factories and facilities of members throughout April.
