News

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has provided the Government with US$70,000 to implement a project called ‘Formalising Operators in the Jamaican Agriculture and Fisheries Sectors’. This project will promote the benefits of formalisation and assist target operators to formalise their operations. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed during a virtual broadcast, which connected representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; the Ministry of Agriculture and...

Jamaica’s first resident diplomat to India is making the case for the strategic importance of increased trade and investment flows between the two countries on the eve of his departure to take up the post of envoy in the second most populous nation in the world, the second-largest democracy and the sixth-largest economy. Having got a feel for diplomacy as Jamaica’s ambassador to Mexico for the past two years,...

Strong cash flow at the end of 2020 giving impetus to expansion exploits TROPICAL Battery has been energised for expansion mode having declared its intention to pursue a number of acquisitions in the coming months. Managing Director Alexander Melville, who made the disclosure, also announced that the company is currently seeking out partnerships for strategic alliances. He advised shareholders of the company’s Strategic 2021 Growth Plan which will...

IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, through a recent agreement with JMMB Bank has provided the bank access to US$35 million with a five-year tenure to facilitate increased financing to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). The project will also increase the availability of long-term financing to JMMB Bank to support the growth of its SME lending service, while contributing to the maturity and structure of its...

In Jamaica, where a significant per cent of employment is provided by micro and small entrepreneurs, taking ‘small’ ideas seriously is paramount to moving the economy forward. For two decades, JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) has facilitated the emergence and sustenance of thousands of micro and small businesses across Jamaica, which, before the pioneering move by what was then the Jamaica National Building Society, had few places they...