INFODESK
Public sector agencies and private sector organizations offer a variety of information on initiatives to support the goals and objectives of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME). The initiatives may include access to funding or information on available incentives and information on Trade shows and other pertinent ventures. Similarly there are private sector entities across the Island that provide access to a number of services that will enable firms to improve their competitiveness, capacity and services delivery.
Funding Oasis
Jamaica Trade and Invest invites clients to visit www.fundingoasis.com, our website for sources of funding and technical assistance. Recognizing that one of the major constraints facing Jamaican companies is the lack of financial resources, JTI has developed an online facility which serves as a vehicle for linking businesses and associations with local and international providers of financing and technical assistance.
Companies and business associations seeking financial and technical assistance can visit the website at: www.fundingoasis.com where they will have access to a database featuring 48 providers of financing and technical assistance and offering 75 financing options for a wide range of industry groupings. Information provided on the site includes the type and terms of assistance offered the target sectors and activities eligible for financing, applicable interest rates and the currency of funding.
Jamaica Trade Point
Exporters will soon be able to benefit more fully from the services of Jamaica Trade Point (www.jamaicatradepoint.com) with the integration of the online export systems of Jamaica Customs and the Trade Board as well as the implementation of the trade-related online systems for the Bureau of Standards, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture under the umbrella of the trade facilitation portal. Once integrated, the online systems of these agencies will be able to interface and share data through the Jamaica Trade Point portal. Enabling traders to enjoy an end-to end seamless trade facilitation system available to them 24/7.
For exporters, this service which will be phased in between January and April 2006, will mean a significant reduction in time and money spent standing in lines, duplicating paperwork and moving documentation between the various agencies. They will instead, have the option of completing their application forms online and tracking the status of their application as it is electronically navigated among the trade agencies. The e-payments feature will also be available to facilitate easy payment for transactions.
jExporter.com
More and more exporters are responding to the call to use jExporter.com, a pioneering, user-friendly system designed to fully facilitate exporters. The online registration system is part of the wider trade facilitation services offered under Jamaica Trade Point, Jamaica’s trade facilitation portal. The web-based tool offers the following features:
- Exporter Registration (new and renewal)
- Consignee Registration
- Request for Shipment letters
- Registration Status Review
- E-Payment
Exporters can access the online registration system 24 hours a day from the comfort of their home or office. For more details, log on to www.jexporter.com.
