24 October 2015 - Business View Caribbean
tion, the Government adopted a General Consump-
tion Tax (GCT) in order to shift some of the taxation
burdens from production inputs to consumption. Over
the years, continued JMA lobbying has succeeded in
securing the dismantling of most price control mecha-
nisms for local manufacturers, and the restructuring
of import tariffs, port duties, and administrative fees.
Today, there is reduced, or no taxation, duties, or port
charges on raw material imports and capital goods
coming into Jamaica.
But of course, there’s never a shortage of other con-
cerns claiming the attention of Pengelley and the
JMA’s 14-member secretariat staff. “One of the big
issues we’re facing, at the moment, as a country, is
the cost of electricity. Energy is a major component of
manufacturing and currently our costs are somewhere
around 42 cents per kilowatt hour. We’re still running
very old generating equipment, all based on oil. So
there is a new policy here which is working to diversify
that and we’re expecting by 2017 or 2018 we will have
taken at least 30 percent out of the current cost of
electricity by switching to gas and to new generating
equipment that is far more efficient.” Always empha-
sizing the upside, Pengelley adds: “And if you use your
power between midnight and 6 AM you can also lower
your costs.”
In addition to its lobbying arm, the JMA also provides
many other direct services to its members. For exam-
ple: for 42 years the Association has hosted a bien-
nial “Expo Jamaica ” - a trade platform that showcases
Jamaican manufactured products and brings buyers
and sellers together. In addition, the JMA exposes its
Brian Pengelley, JMA’s President
Brian and Former Prime Minister, PJ Pa
