SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISESTHE ROLE OF THE BAMBOO SECTOR IN JAMAICA

MSME POLICYIn Jamaica, a national Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) and Entrepreneurship Policy is a critical initiative by the Government of Jamaica which became an Act of Parliament in 2013.

The MSMEs play an important role in economic development and represent the main source of new business startups, with great potential to contribute growth and innovation in the economy and accounting for 90% of total employment.

2030 VISION PLANMSMEs are a high priority on the national agenda as the sector it is felt is critical for transforming the economy to achieve the vision articulated in the National Development Plan 2030 which states our goal, to make Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.

Definition of MSMEThe Governments policy does not prescribe a common, mandatory definition but provides guidance as what is accepted as a description of micro, small and medium enterprises in the Jamaican context: Micro enterprises are generally defined as having one (1) to three (3) employees and/or an annual turnover less than J$10,000,000. (JAD$115:US$1).Small enterprises are described as having between four (4) to ten (10) employees and/or an annual turnover of over J$10,000,000 but less than J$40,000,000.

ContdMedium enterprises are categorized as having between eleven (11) to fifty (50) employees and/or an annual turnover that falls between J$40,000,000 and J$150,000,000.

ContdThe drive to secure resources, through multilateral and bilateral agencies will be continued as the GOJ seeks to facilitate capacity building in credit institutions and businesses in an effort to improve efficiency and productivity throughout the sector.

THE HONORABLE MINISTER OF STATES ADDRESS TO THE JAMAICAN PARLIAMENT

THE HONORABLE MINISTER OF STATES ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENTThe Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams made a presentation with the theme Facilitating the Growth of Industries to the Parliament of Jamaica on 18 June 2014 and in her introductory remarks she said: ..this theme addresses the need for inclusive growth at all levels of our economy, including all skills, groups, and geographic areas both rural and urban. In this context, our efforts are supportive of Jamaicas thrust towards becoming a logistics-centered economy, which will help us to be more competitive in terms of the ease and speed of doing business, creating new markets, and providing new opportunities for micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs).

THE ROLE OF THE BAMBOO INDUSTRYIt is to be noted that the first ever bamboo forum was held at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) in April of last year in which the Deputy Director of INBAR (International Network of Bamboo and Rattan), Dr. Li Zhi Young and Mr. Oliver Frith Global Construction Programme Coordinator from INBAR were in attendance.

BAMBOO TISSUE CULTUREBamboo Propagation in Jamaica will be done through tissue culture, facilitated by the work that has been done by Dr. Sylvia Mitchell at the Biotechnology Centre at the University of the West Indies, along with National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), with a focus on the protection of Jamaicas biodiversity.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCIALIZATIONIn Jamaica, the Bamboo Products Industry Project (BPIP), housed at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) has demonstrated that the common species of bamboo growing in Jamaica (Bambusa vulgaris) is amenable to the technologies now being used, and as such, provides opportunities for the production and commercialization of a wide range of these bamboo products.

THE USE OF BAMBOOBamboo can be used to create a wide range of products including: bamboo flooring, corrugated roofing, furniture, hand-made bamboo woven laminates, pens and pencils, toothpicks and chop sticks, edible bamboo shoots,bamboo water/beer, bamboo pallet, bamboo paper, bamboo charcoal

BAMBOO USED IN CONSTRUCTION

BAMBOO CHARCOAL

EDIBLE BAMBOO SHOOTS

BAMBOO FURNITURE

BAMBOO TREATED STRIPS

ContdAssistance will be sought from INBAR with respect to the technical support of bamboo shoot production in Jamaica, which had a global trade value of over $273 million (2012).

BAMBOO CHARCOAL PRODUCTION, PRODUCTS & APPLICATIONSAs a cleaner source of energy, bamboo charcoal provides a more sustainable source of fuel. Bamboo charcoal can be easily produced.The use of bamboo charcoal limits the need for firewood, and so reduces deforestation.It has many uses, which will be prototyped and developed in the framework of the new Bamboo Industry Board.

ContdIn early 2014, following a meeting with members of the Bamboo and Indigenous Materials Advisory Council (BIMAC), the Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change (MWLEC), The Hon. Robert Pickersgill and his technical advisors, policy consultants, the head of NEPA and Technical Advisor Nora Blake, NEPA reconsidered the ban on bamboo charcoal, which was based on some misconceptions about bamboo charcoal. The Minister issued a letter exempting bamboo charcoal from the ban on the export of charcoal from Jamaica.

ContdSenator Norman Grant moved a private members motion in the Senate for the government to accelerate its support for the nascent bamboo industry in Jamaica.Following the removal of the ban, a member of BIMAC established a relationship with businesses in the United States, which has led to an order for 6 million pounds of Jamaican bamboo charcoal, with an estimated retail value of 10 million US-dollars.

ContdA facility in Jamaica using kilns imported from China has started to export Organic Bamboo to the USA and in so doing employs 30 persons.

WOMEN IN THE BAMBOO INDUSTRY

The MIIC will be focusing on developing strategies and supportive policies, and financing of the new bamboo sector to help take it forward. Within this broader context, a new Bamboo Industry Board will examine strategies and means for social inclusion to benefit marginalized groups, particularly those in rural areas, women and the disabled.A study of the MSME Policy will reveal cross cutting policy objectives and strategies to facilitate women and disabled.

WOMAN DEMONSTRATING THE USE OF A MANUAL BAMBOO SPLITTER

POLICY STATEMENTSPolicy Strategies:Continuously identify factors that constrain the participation of women in business and develop appropriate strategies to address them.Build capacity of organizations/entities to design and deliver programmes that take the unique challenges of female entrepreneurs into account.Facilitate training with at least 50% of training resources allocated to women entrepreneursDevelop business incubators to facilitate innovation and the use of indigenous material with at least 30% Women Owned Businesses.

POLICY ELEMENT: PERSONS WITH DISABILITIESPolicy Issue:A cursory glance at the Jamaican workforce will reveal that although persons with disabilities are still employable and are being employed, there remains a high level of unemployment within the group.As of December 2011, The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD registered a little over 12,045 disabled Jamaicans but believe that the number of physically challenged persons living on the island is closer to 400,000. For many persons with disabilities or debilitating conditions, self-employment offer the hope of both making a living and achieving self-sufficiency.

JAMAICAN BAMBOO STANDARDSWhile the sustainable production of bamboo is critical for people in developing countries, bamboo certification frameworks lag behind.A new Jamaican Standard for Bamboo Charcoal for Air Purification to be used in the manufacture of charcoal air filters, is to be Gazetted following on its signing by the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce on Thursday 04 April 2015.

BAMBOO ZONESMIIC will be spearheading a bamboo development strategy to facilitate the establishment of bamboo products factories in various zones throughout Jamaica, many of which will take the form of community Co-Operatives:-Zone 1 Hanover, Westmoreland, St. James: Factories producing bamboo board and furniture, bamboo charcoal. Zone 2 St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas: Factories producing edible bamboo shoots, bamboo charcoal and preserved bamboo sticks.Zone 3 St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon: Factories producing bamboo saw dust pellets, bamboo shipping pallets, preserved bamboo yam sticks, bamboo charcoal and air filters.Zone 4 St. Elizabeth, Manchester: Factories producing edible bamboo shoots, bamboo charcoal, preserved bamboo yam sticks, and bamboo power generation.

BAMBOO TRAINING PROGRAMMEAn Island-wide bamboo training programme is being discussed which will also have the involvement of INBAR.The future of the new and emerging Bamboo Sector in Jamaica will be driven by Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.