By Zoila Palma: The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) says Caribbean governments must help reduce the price disadvantages faced by regionally produced goods, arguing that businesses cannot be expected to sacrifice profitability simply to support Caribbean manufacturers.
JCC President Emile Leiba made the remarks in response to concerns raised by Belize’s Agriculture Minister Rodwell Ferguson during CARICOM’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, Jamaica.
The Jamaica Gleaner reports that Minister Ferguson had called on businesses and consumers to change their attitudes toward regional products, arguing that some Caribbean people place greater value on goods manufactured in China, Europe and the United States.
He said governments were working to increase agricultural production and strengthen food security, but private-sector reluctance to purchase regional products remained a challenge. “We must be able to help each other to survive,” Ferguson said, stressing the importance of stronger trade among Caribbean countries.
However, Leiba argued that business purchasing decisions are influenced by price, quality and consumer demand. “I think any solid business person should support Caribbean products and should prefer Caribbean products,” he said, while maintaining that companies must remain competitive and cannot automatically choose a regional product if it puts them at a commercial disadvantage.
Leiba said governments have a responsibility to address the cost differences that can make imported goods more attractive than Caribbean-made alternatives. “That is where governments would need to step in to make the Caribbean product more palatable for the individual business owner,” he said.
He suggested that governments could examine duties and external tariffs as possible measures to reduce the disadvantages facing regional producers. Leiba also noted that Jamaican businesses must compete with imported alternatives available to consumers.
Ferguson has highlighted Belize’s self-sufficiency in several commodities, including rice, beans, corn, chicken and soybeans, as an example of the region’s agricultural potential.
However, the discussion highlights the challenges of translating increased production into stronger regional trade.
The post International News: Jamaica Chamber says businesses shouldn’t sacrifice profits to buy Caribbean-Made goods appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) says Caribbean governments must help reduce the price disadvantages faced by regionally produced goods, arguing that businesses cannot be expected to sacrifice profitability simply to support Caribbean manufacturers. JCC President Emile Leiba made the remarks in response to concerns raised by Belize’s Agriculture Minister Rodwell Ferguson
The post International News: Jamaica Chamber says businesses shouldn’t sacrifice profits to buy Caribbean-Made goods appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
