KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) commends the Government on accepting our proposal to remove the Customs Administrative Fee (CAF), for exports bearing a value less than or equal to USD$500.
This move is a welcomed one for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) community, which accounts for 74% of the JMEA membership.
MSMEs will now be encouraged to export more and capitalize on opportunities previously missed due to the prohibitive cost hindrance which rendered their offering uncompetitive.
Since the pandemic, the significance of e-commerce has risen as a major vehicle for MSMEs to market their products and reach potential end users, irrespective of geographical boundaries. This move by the Government will encourage more businesses to embrace digitization to drive productivity and business expansion.
Baughaus Design Studio, member of the JMEA and a lead MSME voice on the issue, commented that the move “will certainly encourage more sales and a greater push to increase our online marketing efforts without fear that we operate and service our overseas customers at a loss, using the current logistics systems available to MSMEs.”
Other members within the apparel, cosmetics, and personal care subsectors, have also expressed great joy at the announcement describing it as “a brand-new survival platform” that will help them to expand and seek new opportunities.
The JMEA is encouraging businesses to start the preparation to shift from pandemic survival to recovery. Let us maximize all the available incentives to ensure Jamaica has a robust, sharp and inclusive recovery.