News from the OPM

Government Policy Creating Flourishing Business Environment – PM Holness


Government Policy Creating Flourishing Business Environment – PM  Holness
The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister, greeted one of the many factory workers after the Jamaica Grain and Cereals Limited Official Factory Opening & Launch of Gold Seal Flour.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that the Government has been strategic in creating a strong business environment.

Speaking at the Jamaica Grain and Cereals Limited official factory opening and launch of Gold Seal Flour this morning, (Thursday March 15), the Prime Minister reaffirmed that the Government is on a path of retaking the manufacturing industry by dealing with its security threats.

“We are going to retake ground in manufacturing by ensuring that we have an economic policy and financial sector policy that supports businesses in taking risks and I think in general when you survey the landscape, you can see that government policy is moving strategically towards creating an environment where businesses can flourish, where businesses can grow and create jobs and prosperity for the Jamaican people,” said Prime Minister Holness.

Prime Minister Holness emphasized that local manufacturers must not only supply local demand but also supply the CARICOM market with Jamaican products.

He cited the $5 billion investment in Jamaica Grains and Cereals Limited as a signal of import substitution and export which will improve supplies to the regional marketplace.

“I am hoping, I’m expecting that this investment will not merely be seeking to compete here in Jamaica but that you will be seeking to supply markets within the CARICOM region and even markets outside of CARICOM and it requires the entrepreneurial spirit to do it but it also requires the support of your government to ensure that the trade practices are such, that when you make the investment decision and you take the risk, you are assured that your product can end up in markets outside of the jurisdiction of your government in a fair way,” said Prime Minister Holness.

The Prime Minister further stated that his government has taken a strategic approach in dealing with CARICOM.

“We have developed a strategy which we want to make a national strategy that if governments change, the strategy towards CARICOM remains. We have commissioned the CARICOM report, which was chaired by former Prime Minister Golding, the report is now before parliament and will be debated,” said Mr. Holness.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Holness congratulated the management of Jamaica Grain and Seals for employing more than 300 Jamaicans.