Kingston, Jamaica – As the government aims to train 2700 Micro, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) under the Digital Jamaica Project over a 2-year period, entrepreneurs are being encouraged to reserve their spaces by pre-registering at the upcoming Digital Jamaica Summit & Showcase. The event which is geared at sensitisation around the Project is being staged at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 under the theme ‘Powering Business Connectivity for MSMEs’.
The Summit is set to bring together MSMEs, digital technology service providers, government officials, and other private sector delegates to engage in discussions, presentations, and exhibitions centred around the significance of digital technologies in business. Attendees will have the opportunity to pre-register with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), which will conduct the training as mandated by the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC).
Permanent Secretary at MIIC, Sancia Bennett Templer says MSMEs are a major focus at the Ministry which has been empowering its agencies to help them formalise, access financing, enter markets, and pitch their businesses. “They are very important to the Jamaican economy. They employ a lot of people. They are part of our tax infrastructure, and a part of keeping the Jamaican family going,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary added that the 9.5-million-euro Digital Jamaica Project (funded by the European Union) will help Jamaican MSMEs to improve productivity and efficiency.
Pointing to the need for MSMEs to go digital, Mrs. Bennett Templer said, “Internationalisation is not just about big containers going out. Internationalisation is how you use social media to get your product out of Jamaica. E-commerce – you have to move in that direction.”
In year one, the training programme will be delivered over a period of 9 months. Each session will be one day long and will have no more than 20 participants, with a total of 700 participants trained. Sessions will be scheduled to accommodate the busy schedules of MSMEs across Jamaica. The aim is to have 40% of trainees from outside the Kingston Metropolitan Area, ensuring a diverse geographical representation and addressing the digital divide. Year 2 will target 2000 beneficiaries.
The project also aims to have 500 MSME beneficiaries digitally transformed at least one (1) internal business process by 2026.
Jamaican MSMEs at Base Level with Digital Technologies
A recent survey conducted by the JBDC revealed that a moderate 32.44% of MSME respondents use digital technologies daily and understand their benefits well, indicating a practical familiarity.
Valerie Veira, Chief Executive Officer at the JBDC says the Digital Jamaica Summit & Showcase will set the stage for the training to come. “Digital technology is the tool. It is not the answer to an inefficient business. And it is not magic, it is how you use the tool. A big part of our role is to get the MSMEs to select the appropriate tool, to utilise it, and to benefit from it,” she explained.
Several government and private sector stakeholders are set to speak at the event with a highlight being the main address to be delivered by Industry Minister, Senator Aubyn Hill. Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Ms. Wahkeen Murray, Chief Technical Director – Office of the Prime Minister and Miss Veira will also address the attendees during the opening ceremony.
A panel discussion on “Exploring Digital Technologies as a Pathway to MSME Growth & Economic Development” will see a robust discussion among Harold Davis, Deputy CEO – JBDC; Dr. (Maj.) Hugh Blake, CEO/Trade Administrator – Trade Board Ltd.; Shullette Cox, President – JAMPRO; Almando Cox, President – Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance (JTDA); Andre Palmer, Head of Practice – Securys (Jamaica) Ltd.; and Kemal Brown; Chief Executive Officer – Digita Global Marketing. These industry experts presenting on the deployment of digital technologies for growth, business operations, and economic resilience at large.
Several technology experts from the JTDA and other private sector organisations will conduct presentations throughout the day on topics including digital marketing, e-commerce, cyber security, website, financial management, team management, cloud, hardware, software, customer relationship management, among others.
Complementing these presentations will be an exhibition involving the showcasing of various digital solutions relevant to entrepreneurial business needs.
The Digital Jamaica Project supports Jamaica’s Digital Agenda which is in line with its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy, with its stated Mission “To achieve greater social and economic development, through increased application of ICT in all sectors”.
Entrepreneurs wishing to attend the Digital Jamaica Summit & Showcase are required to register at https://www.jbdc.net/digitaljamaicasummit/.
