September 9, 2021

The Jamaica Customs Agency has embarked on the second phase of its Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme with the recent launch of the exporter component of the programme. The AEO Programme is a supply chain security programme that deals with implementing security measures along the supply chain in international trade, with a focus on containerised shipments in particular. The programme is for everyone within the supply chain including importers, exporters, warehouse keepers and brokers. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Manager of the AEO Unit at the Jamaica Customs Agency, Ms. Karen Wilson, explained that the agency has been operating the AEO Importer programme since 2014. Under that programme, prospective members are required to import a minimum of six full containers per annum and implement the AEO security requirements as part of their organisational protocols and processes. The new Exporter Programme has a number of requirements, such as export of Full Container Loads (FCL) – at least one per annum, be a registered business with the Government of Jamaica and actively trading for at least three years, completion of all AEO security requirements, compliance with revenue payments and legal obligations of the various government agencies and they must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the JCA. A pilot programme took place in April followed by sensitisation of the main stakeholders in May. “What we have done is add those importers who are currently on the Importer Programme, who also export and have expressed an interest to be a part of the programme,” Ms. Wilson stated. “We have had those exporters added to ASYCUDA as AEO Exporters. They would continue to receive expedited service from both sides, both the importer and the exporter side of things in relation to the processing of their documentation,” she added. The AEO Manager pointed to the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT) portal which includes the processing of all declarations and requirements from the trade regulators (import and export) in one central portal. “With this portal, it is like a virtual one-stop shop, everything is going to be processed through JSWIFT. There will be continued examinations of exporters when the goods are leaving the country, just to ensure that no compromise occurred, but is going to be less intrusive” Ms. Wilson explained. The AEO Unit Manager explained that companies will be receiving a certification which is internationally recognised by all member countries of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) that have implemented the AEO programme. “This certification allows for exposure to new markets because we find that with things occurring in terms of security throughout the supply chain, companies are now specifically seeking out other companies that are implementing security measures along their supply chain so they tend to be shifting to do more business with companies that are AEO Certified,” Ms. Wilson explained. Future benefits of the Exporter Programme include Mutual Recognition Agreements with other countries, which will facilitate seamless movement of goods across third party country borders. The steps in the application approval process are: risk assessment of applicant; interview and validation of security requirements; recommendations for approval or denial of application; signing of MOU and awarding of certificate. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/jca-implements-second-phase-of-aeo-programme/

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has highlighted the need for the strengthening of engagement between CARICOM and the African continent, noting that “great economic potential” exists between the regions. The Prime Minister, who was addressing the inaugural CARICOM-African Summit, held virtually on Tuesday (September 7), noted that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) serves as an enabling environment for trade and investment opportunities across the regions. “There is potential in the agro industry and logistic sector, and Jamaican companies have already invested in Africa. Opportunities also exist for scientific research, healthcare, technological innovation and digitisation, and tourism,” he said. Mr. Holness further pointed to the solidarity that exists between the two regions in addressing issues such as development financing, debt sustainability, and climate change in various regional and international fora while working for deeper integration. He hailed the African Union (AU) for its provision of access to coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines and other “critical medical supplies” to Caribbean countries through the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), noting that this “has been a game-changer for the continent and for us”. The Prime Minister said that the staging of the Summit, under the theme ‘Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Developing Integration’, is the fulfilment of a vision held by Jamaica’s first National Hero, the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, and other Pan-Africanists “to achieve greatness for people in the African Diaspora from unified engagement”. He urged the leaders gathered for the event, to ensure that these dreams are fulfilled. The Prime Minister said that the “timely dialogue” between the two regions will serve to “entrench our platform of bonds” and common historical experiences, which have been enriched by cultural, economic, and political affinities. Source: https://jis.gov.jm/great-economic-potential-between-caricom-and-africa-pm/

As Jamaicans seek additional options to earn an income, thousands have registered on the freelancing site, The Hive.  The Hive is the Caribbean’s first freelancer jobs marketplace where freelancers, entrepreneurs and agencies are paired with employers globally. The platform was launched last year by Ingenuity Technologies in partnership with the Flow Foundation and has already grown beyond expectations creating a community of over 10,000 across the Caribbean, India and the United States of America. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on work and business, the Hive enables the progress of local professionals and micro, small and medium-sized (MSME) enterprises through digital inclusion through its partnership with the Flow Foundation. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many persons lost their full-time jobs, MSMEs have seen a reduction in work opportunities and freelancers are seeking new job opportunities as traditional sources may have dried up. We’re excited to help through our partnership with The Hive,” stated Stephen Price, Chairman of the Flow Foundation. He continued, “We’re pleased that the website’s technology-driven approach has created faster and easier ways for local freelancers, MSMEs and out-of-work professionals to get short-term jobs and bolster their income.” The move was applauded by local freelancers who are endorsing The Hive for providing a space for them to advertise their services, choose projects when approached by businesses or opt to apply to support advertised projects. Currently, some of the best and brightest freelancers from across the world are on the platform. “The Hive Freelancing has been excellent for finding and bidding on projects, whatever the field or role so that I can increase my earning potential. It’s user-friendly and facilitates a space for me to maintain communication with the “employer” for the duration of the project. Using the website, I have already found two projects and I am working on my third,” shared Gairey Powell, Managing Director, Landscaper.com. The Hive is the brainchild of Melarka Williams, CEO & Founder of Ingenuity Technologies – a global, digital transformation and software engineering firm, with its regional headquarters in Kingston, that provides MSMEs with technology solutions and tools needed for them to increase their operational efficiency and productivity. Williams shared that his motivation stemmed from wanting to provide a platform where people could use their existing skillsets – for example, Technology, Engineering, Administration to name a few – as a source of alternative income so that they could better provide for themselves and their families.  Additionally, he wanted to contribute to the further diversification of the economy into other low-growth sectors which could assist in accelerating the growth of the Caribbean economy. “The Hive will become the most effective path to digital skills development within the Caribbean and an ecosystem for organisations, agencies, academic institutions and businesses to partner with us as we jointly work to bridge the skills divide within Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,” said Williams. This is certainly true for Orlando Brown who heard about The Hive on Twitter and thought it would be a good source of extra income especially in the pandemic.  He shared that he has gained significant expertise in general construction through the website stating, “The Hive has helped me to generate another stream of income.  I’m currently using the site to get construction, electrical and mechanical jobs and, on a smaller scale, project management jobs.”  Brown also advised that he found The Hive’s registration process simple and straightforward. Additionally, the site is providing opportunities globally.  Some of the largest and most innovative companies in the Caribbean and North America are utilizing the platform to hire for short-term and permanent opportunities. The site’s highest demand is for tech experts ranging from IT Business Analysts to Technology Project Leads. To support users in making the best business match, the website incorporates user-led performance ratings and statistics on freelancers, agents and employers to provide a track record of work. The Flow Foundation continues to enable progress through its digital inclusion programme which includes The Hive; an Entrepreneurship Programme, focused on supporting Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs); Training for Professionals Programme in partnership with One on One Educational Services Ltd and its Skills for the Future Programme in partnership with the Mona School of Business Management.  The organisation has also led a Tablet Distribution Partnership Initiative which has which has impacted some 300 students island-wide. Registration on https://www.thehivefreelancing.co/ is free for freelancers and agencies. Source: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/The_Hive_and_Flow_Foundation_provide_alternative_income_stream_option_for_thousands?profile=1056

As some businesses reel from the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic, others are reporting steady growth. Managing director of Aklamar Courier Marlon Fletcher gave his account of how his business has performed since the start of the pandemic. “Business has been great for me, I would not say that it has doubled, but it has surely maintained what I use to do pre-pandemic.” About 99 per cent of Aklamar’s business has to do with dealing with offices and performing tasks like picking up cheques and going to the bank or tax office. In fact, most of the company’s customers are on a retainer, so they pay a flat rate. But, as the managing director explains, the pandemic has created demand in other areas which have been financially rewarding. “I see the increase coming from individual deliveries,” said Fletcher. He said it’s been a steady 40 per cent increase, primarily due to demand in the food delivery business. Before the pandemic Aklamar was described, primarily, as a documentation courier company, but all that is beginning to change. “What I’m seeing, from my side, is that a lot of people are now staying home, so you find that the demand for personal courier service has increased significantly. We’re doing a lot of home visits now and we used to do probably two home visits per day pre-pandemic, during the pandemic we have been doing 10 to 20 home pickups and deliveries per day.” Aklamar Courier is not the only entity experiencing good fortune in the middle of the pandemic. Just last month Knutsford Express Services announced the introduction of business class service and the addition of international package delivery. The new business lines were added since the start of the new financial year. CEO of Knutsford Express, Oliver Townsend, said since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic the company has pivoted to expand courier services. He explained that package volumes climbed nearly 200 per cent since March 2021, contributing significantly to earnings. Similarly, Mailpac Group, which provides international and domestic courier services for people ordering goods from various businesses, including Amazon and PriceSmart, has experienced a surge in growth. This, as more consumers choose e-commerce to source products for their everyday needs. Despite seeing its cost of sales jump by 35 per cent in the first quarter, Mailpac spent $22 million in capital expenditure and leased new properties to allow the company to sufficiently manage the increased business activity. In the same vein, Fletcher highlighted that the Aklamar team expanded by about 10 to 15 per cent of its delivery personnel, “I’ve also added an additional dispatcher to field the calls and messages that are coming in on a daily basis.” But there’s even more growth on the horizon. Fletcher explained that Aklamar is in the final stages of negotiating a new contract with about three companies which will make out of town courier services more lucrative for his business. Currently, he only operates in the Kingston, Portmore, and Spanish Town area. “Other courier companies, namely Tara and Knutsford Express, have dominated the out of town market by way of literally transporting people. So they just put courier service into the bottom of the bus and they are able to charge a significantly reduced rate for a delivery from let’s say Kingston to Montego Bay. We did not venture into out of town deliveries on a one-on-one basis because the demand was just not there and I would be operating at a loss to go to Montego Bay, for example, with two or three deliveries,” he explained. Although business is doing well, Fletcher admitted that there are a few challenges. “From time to time we get a little resistance because I guess the officer on the ground may not be familiar with the gazetted order that is published every time the prime minister would have announced new measures. It’s part and parcel of the stigma that surrounds bikers overall. But all my staff have their IDs, letters, and the bikes are company bikes, which are branded, fully licensed, and insured.” In the meantime, the courier service provider said he has ventured into contactless deliveries to facilitate people who are afflicted with COVID-19. He says it’s the latest pivot which has already started to pay dividends. Source: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-observer-corporate-listing/courier-businesses-thriving_230673?profile=1056

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The team Jamaica camp is upbeat after the island’s Country Pavilion was named one of the ‘coolest’ at World Expo 2020, Dubai. The ITP Media Group’s subsidiary, Time Out Dubai, recently published an article featuring the “coolest country pavilions” setting up for the global event, which gets underway in October. Jamaica was among just 13 standouts recognised of the nearly 200 individual country participants. “I am very thrilled that Jamaica has been represented in this article,” Commissioner General of Section, Jamaica Pavilion at World Expo 2020 Dubai, Essie Gardner said. “We have been trying to make sure that even though Jamaica is a small island state, our voice is heard loud and clear across the world. So, the fact that Time Out Dubai has selected Jamaica as one of the coolest kids on the block is really refreshing to us. The fact that they have seen us, seen our bold colours, seen our personality coming out through the pavilion is really good for us,” she noted. The Time Out Dubai article said that Jamaica has “struck gold” with its “spontaneous street party-style pavilion,” which features shipping containers from across the world organised into zones focused on the country’s sports, food, music, cultural heritage, investment attractiveness and tourism. “The concept is that Jamaica has fun doing whatever it is we are doing. When you see the pavilion there are bold pictures of people on the outside and scenes of Jamaica and when you get on the inside it is like a block party and we actually have a music studio. I think that what captured the attention of Timeout Dubai is when they realised that they could listen to Jamaican music, create their own playlist and have a vibe of our home,” shared Gardner. The Jamaica pavilion is a gift from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was designed and constructed by a UAE-based entity to the specifications of the Jamaican team. For his part, Senior Director of Regulations, Policy, Monitoring and Enforcement at the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA), Ainsley Brown, also welcomed the recognition. “It is the uniqueness of the pavilion, which is reflective of our culture and our drive to transform our economy into a logistics hub. They mentioned the containers and the art and culture, so that unique combination has come together in a seamless way, in a ‘sustain-a-livity way’. It combines the economic, social, environmental and governance aspects to delivering positive results for people, planet and profit,” he said. A team from JSEZA forms part of the multi-agency Jamaican delegation to Dubai. Others include the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Jamaica Tourist Board and Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO). World Expos are global gatherings of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges around the core values of education, innovation, and cooperation. World Expo 2020 Dubai will be held October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. The event was initially scheduled for 2020 but was postponed for a year due to the global pandemic. — JIS Source: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Jamaica_among_coolest_pavilions_at_World_Expo_2020_Dubai?profile=1228