Frankson
CITING HIGH interest rates and the prevailing crime situation in the country as major contributors to the decline in manufacturing, the president of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), Doreen Frankson, called for the necessary support to be implemented allowing the sector to contribute more to the economy.
Vowing not to preside over decline, she told the gathering at the sixth JMA Ball held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Saturday of measures being pursued to revive the sector and facilitate growth.
Ms. Frankson said that there were opportunities in manufacturing once certain basic problems were corrected. She stated her aim to ensure "the take-back of the local and regional markets by producers whilst strengthening their presence in the international marketplace."
The president indicated that a partnership approach was the route being explored to stimulate growth in the productive sector. This process, she said, was already on the way as with the recent joint JAS/ JMA agreement, a delegation met with the Prime Minister to lobby for a stimulus package to boost the productive sector.
Arising from this approach, the JMA president said that a technical team chaired by Dennis Morrison had been established by the Prime Minister to design the operational modalities of the package. This team, comprising the technical working group includes representatives from the JMA, Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) and the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC), had already convened several meetings and is expected to complete its work in the next three weeks.
With the employment figures in manufacturing showing a contraction from 100,000 jobs in the 1990s to approximately 80,000 at present, the ailing productive sector is badly in need of revitalising, according to president Frankson.
