THE GLEANER, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 • www.jamaica-gleaner.com •
gleanerjamaica •
jamaicagleaner • SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
This holiday season: Support quality Jamaican products PREAD LOVE and joy this holiday season by supporting the innovative, quality, competitively priced products made in Jamaica. Give the gift of a locally manufactured product – a gift that keeps on giving through the sector’s contribution to gross domestic product, foreign exchange earnings, government revenue, and socio-economic development. The manufacturing sector is an important driver of job creation. Think about it. Without the manufacturing sector, over 70,000 more persons in this country would be unemployed. Buying Jamaican helps to keep these Jamaicans employed, enabling them to care for more than 200,000 dependents. Buying Jamaican also helps to stimulate expansion of the industry, which will generate new jobs, as consumer demand increases for the wide range of products made in Jamaica. The formula for economic growth includes buying Jamaican and establishing a strong link between our manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism industries. The Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association is committed to this, but we reinforce that the strength of our productive sector is largely dependent on the purchasing habits of consumers. As a nation, we need to assume a ‘Buy Jamaican’ culture and support local alternatives to imports to reduce our trade imbalance and the demand for foreign exchange. Let us make it our resolve this Christmas, and beyond, to read our labels and to use our purchasing power to buy local.
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BUY JAMAICAN SURVEY A Buy Jamaican Survey conducted this year, indicated that 94 per cent of respondents believed that the principle of the Buy Jamaican Campaign was a good one and that they were generally supportive of buying Jamaican products. However, we all need to make the con-
Buy Jamaican high-quality products
PENGELLEY nection between the purchases we make and the impact on the economy so that the money made here stays here. We all should adopt the old adage and let our actions speak louder than our words. Manufacturing in Jamaica is difficult but rewarding. Rewarding because of the consumers that continue to support and enjoy the world-class brands of Jamaica. We thank you for your belief in manufacturing and look forward to your continued loyalty. Let us all build Jamaica, land we love. Brian Pengelley President Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association Ltd.
MANUFACTURING n Stimulates innovation and builds linkages. n Contributes 8.4 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). n Exports US$772.502m.
STATE OF JAMAICA ECONOMY n GDP growth rate: 0.2 per cent. n Trade deficit: US$4,658m. n Unemployment rate: 13.8 per cent. n Ratio of Government debt to GDP:
n Employs 71,875, which is 5.5 per cent of the labour force. n Contributes $30 billion to government revenues. n Supports community development and empowerment.
>140 per cent. n Fiscal deficit: $8,045.7m. n Major crimes – 10,667 and homicides – 1,087. n Poverty rate: 19.9 per cent.
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