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Page 4NEWSCouncil elects new Executive Committee

Page 6MEMbEr FocuSExecutive Committee members share their vision

Page 10coVEr STorYChristopher Zacca:The right man for the times

Page 8Young PSOJ members appointed to GraceKennedy’sExternal Innovation Council

Page 12MEET THE STAFFCecil Lindo:Caretaker par excellence

Page 1450uNDErFIFTY AWArDSCaribbean Producers Jamaica provides million-dollar support

Page 15EXIM Bank proud to support initiative

HAPPENINGSPage 16Highlights from the 24th Annual General Meeting

Page 18Members enjoy second Executive Lyme

Page 19Members salute Joseph M Matalon for excellent service

Page 21News from the CEO’s Report

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Table of ContentsMessage from the Editor

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Sandra AC GlasgowCEOThe Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)

The season of change at the Private Sector Organisation is now complete as the new Council and Executive Committee have been elected to office. The President and also Chairman of Council and the Executive Committee, Christopher Zacca, who previously served from 2006 to 2009, has pledged his full commitment to advocating for strong economic growth and not a moment too soon, as the global crisis continues.

Chris returns to office at a crucial time and we have no doubt that he will be able to successfully pick up where immediate past president, Joseph M Matalon, left off. With a long career in some of Jamaica’s biggest companies, in addition to his own ventures and a stint in public service, Chris brings a different persepctive and energy to the organisation that is necessary to take us forward.

The officer corps, comprised of some of Jamaica’s top business executives, Christopher Barnes, Richard Byles, Keith Duncan, Jacqueline Sharp and Don Wehby, is also eager to take on thetask at hand. They each share their vision and expectations for the year ahead in this issue.

As the baton of leadership was passed, we officially saluted Joe for his tireless work over the last three years with a special lun-cheon. We remain grateful for his contribution to the organisa-tion and Jamaica in his capacity as President.

Speaking of batons, it is time for the 30th Olympic Games and Jamaica is once again expected to dominate in the sprints. We look forward to the performances of our athletes and antici-pate the success of Meet Jamaica at London 2012, developed by the Trade Policy Committee last year.

Deliberations are also now under way to select the PSOJ/The Gleaner Company’s 50UnderFifty Awardees. We feature two of the sponsors of the programme, Caribbean Producers Ja-maica and EXIM Bank, whose principals are highly supportive of recognising and developing the nation’s top young leaders.

As we draw closer to August 6, the day Jamaica celebrates 50 years of independence, we are reminded not only of what we have achieved as a country, but of the work we must do in or-der to be in a better socio-economic position going forward. If we are to achieve our goals as a nation, everyone has to display their commitment to getting the work done. Join with the PSOJ as we push to get Jamaica on the path to growth again.

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neWsCouncil elects new Executive Committee

he Council of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica elected the members of the 2012/2013 Executive Committee on Thursday, July 19. Christo-

pher Zacca, who had previously served as president from 2006 to 2009, was returned unanimously to the position of president.

The other officers elected were Vice Presidents Richard Byles of Sagicor Life Jamaica, Don Wehby of GraceKen-nedy and Keith Duncan of Jamaica Money Market Brokers. Jacqueline Sharp of Scotiabank was returned as Honorary Treasurer. Christopher Barnes of The Gleaner Company, who was nominated for the position of Honorary Secre-tary, will be appointed at the next meeting of the executive committee, consequent on the resignation of present sec-retary, Earl Jarrett.

In his first presidential speech of the year, Zacca pledged the Executive Committee’s commitment to promoting strong economic growth and good governance and also commended immediate past president Joseph M Matalon for his accomplishments over his three-year tenure.

In addition to the officers, seven associations were elected to the committee. They are: Jamaica Bankers Association ( JBA), Jamaica Exporters Association ( JEA), Jamaica Em-ployers Federation ( JEF), Jamaica Hotel and Tourist As-sociation ( JHTA), Jamaica Securities Dealers Association ( JSDA), Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) and the Women Business Owners Association (WBO).

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The new Officer Corps: Christopher Barnes, Honorary Secretary; Keith Duncan, Vice President; Richard Byles, Vice President; Christopher Zacca, President; Don Wehby, Vice President and Jacqueline Sharp, Honorary Treasurer. Missing is Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Glasgow.

Immediate past president, Joseph Matalon and his successor, Christopher Zacca

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s a former Vice President of the Private Sector Or-ganisation of Jamaica, I am honoured to be selected once again by my fellow business leaders to serve

on the Executive Committee.

At this time, the committee is focused on growth and we are prepared to work together with the government and other stakeholders in the country to ensure that the Jamai-can economy is so managed to bring about the develop-ment we need. We will also be paying special attention to issues of trade and energy, which are areas of vital impor-tance to the business community and the ordinary citizen alike. The reason for this emphasis on growth is that it is essen-tial to both economic and social stability. Given Jamaica’s current circumstances, nothing is more important right now. The executive has some very talented and fairly young business leaders who will bring a new energy to the work at hand. These are people that I deal with in business on a regular basis and I am happy to be associated with them in this capacity, working together in the nation’s interest.

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member foCusThe new Executive Committee

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Don Wehby Vice President

Group CEO, GraceKennedy Ltd

Richard Byles Vice President

President and CEO, Sagicor Life Jamaica Ltdam honoured to be asked to join the Executive Com-

mittee by the new President and especially to chair the Economic Policy Committee.

In this regard, the executive committee has identified sever-al key areas that need to be addressed. Chief among them is the development of a strategy for sustainable growth. We will also focus on removing bureaucracy in the busi-ness environment. The 2012 World Bank Doing Business Report shows that Jamaica has again recorded a low rank-ing in terms of the ease of doing business. Corruption has also become a really big problem in our society and we have to also focus on reducing energy costs. These factors have been stifling production and making us uncompetitive amongst our peers.

It is also my hope that we will be able to maintain the YUTE programme in some form. The challenge will be to secure funding, but that’s something to work on.

To the membership of the PSOJ, I want to say that the chal-lenges we are currently facing are not only in Jamaica, but worldwide. However, there are a number of opportunities to reinvest in Jamaica, including in the export sector, and this will help to ensure that we have a better nation.

It’s time to renew the entrepreneurial spirit so business people will once again take the calculated risks that are nec-essary to grow our economy.

t is an honour to be elected to serve as a Vice Presi-dent of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. This is a crucial time in Jamaica’s economic develop-

ment and we can contribute to the bold changes that are needed to put the country on a path to real growth.

We need to be less incremental and work with all the stakeholders across the board – the government, civil society, the business community and the general public – to create the change Jamaica needs.

We cannot just sit here and year over year, we’re achiev-ing 0.5 per cent and one per cent growth, where one is high. We need to really create some new ideas, create a paradigm shift.

I’m looking forward to working with a close-knit team that is bold and creative. I have every confidence that we will be able to engage and mobilise the members of the organisation to be the driving force for the socio-economic changes this country needs.

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Keith Duncan Vice President

President and CEO, Jamaica Money Market Brokers Ltd

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Jacqueline SharpHonorary Treasurer

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,

Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Ltd

am delighted to be returning as an officer of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica to work with Chris and a new team of highly successful business leaders in the

coming year.

I look forward to working with this new Executive Com-mittee towards achieving the PSOJ’s mandate of advocating on national policy that will support the growth of a vibrant private sector and the Jamaican economy.

The private sector plays a critical role in the growth and development of the country, so I hope that our new team, supported by the strong committees and the secretariat, will build on the work that has been done to date, and will continue to develop strategies and recommendations that will assist the government in policy making. I hope that we will be able to build on the partnership with the government and advocate effectively for implementation of those poli-cies that will positively impact Jamaica’s economic growth.

In my role as Honorary Treasurer, I will work with the team to ensure that the organisation meets its financial goals and remains on firm financial ground to continue to pursue its very important mandate.

member foCusThe new Executive Committee

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Christopher BarnesHonorary Secretary

Managing Director, The Gleaner Company

have been The Gleaner Company’s representative on the PSOJ council for nearly four years and have served on various committees of the PSOJ during this time.

The future of Jamaica depends on the willingness of pri-vate sector leaders to actively participate in a more national capacity. I remain humbled by my pending appointment as Honorary Secretary and look forward to working with this team already blessed with the enormous competence, ex-perience and wisdom of its members.

Jamaica is in the midst of an important economic transi-tion. The country is heavily indebted with few prospects for growing out of this position any time soon. The current administration needs all the help it can get to surgically im-plement fiscal and social policies, in the right balance, to al-low the country to navigate its way out of this very delicate position. I expect that the PSOJ will work closely with the government to assess and offer advice on the best policies for growth, while lobbying hard in the interest of members where policies implemented are found to have the reverse effect.

Having already served as president, Chris Zacca is no strang-er to the organisation or its members. Given his career ac-complishments in the private sector and his public service thereafter, I am confident that he will hit the ground running on the important issues and, with the backing of the current PSOJ administrative team led by Sandra Glasgow, deliver successes quickly. I look forward to working with him.

wo members of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica have been appointed by GraceKennedy Lim-ited Group CEO, Don Wehby, to serve on the newly

formed External Innovation Council, which he also chairs.

The two, Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Limited and Kimala Bennett, Managing Director of The Production Lab/The Business Lab, are part of the cadre of young entrepreneurs who joined the PSOJ earlier this year. They are joined on the EIC by Jason Dear, Parris Leow Ayee and Naomi Cowan.

“We thought it would be good to engage with the younger generation to get their input regarding our growth strate-gies,” Wehby said. “It’s a total win-win for both parties as the young people also get the chance to see how a board meeting is structured and get exposed to principles of gov-ernance.”

Grace is looking to benefit from the insights of these ‘Gen-eration Y’ leaders in areas such as use of technology and marketing, to drive the thought processes behind the com-pany’s push to solidify its position as a globally competitive brand. “I am humbled to be asked to serve on the council. Grace is one of Jamaica’s iconic brands. It is strong on corporate governance and has produced reputable corporate leaders over the years. Don Wehby is one of these leaders, so to collaborate with him in this manner is a priceless experience to have at 26 years old,” Wilson said.

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sPeCIALYoung PSOJ members

appointed to GraceKennedy’sExternal Innovation Council

Tyrone Wilson chats with immediate past president Joseph M Ma-talon at the 24th Annual General Meeting

Tyrone Wilson chats with immediate past president Joseph M Ma-talon at the 24th Annual General Meeting

hree years ago, Christopher Zacca stepped down as presi-dent of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and devoted himself to public service. He worked as a special

advisor to then Prime Minister Bruce Golding and was also ap-pointed to chair the government’s Liquefied Natural Gas Steer-ing Committee, retaining the job after the change of administra-tion earlier this year.

Now, Zacca has returned to his roots in the private sector, be-ginning his second stint as president on July 19. It was the right time to come back, he believes, and he is the right man for the job.

Several top executives in Jamaica’s business community, including immediate past president Joseph Matalon, seem to agree. Zacca revealed that they had been in discussion with him about tak-ing up the mantle again and, as Matalon’s term drew to a close, exerted gentle pressure to convince him to take the final step.

“I thought to myself, ‘Look, if the top executives in this business world have that confidence in [me] and there really is a need to always have strong continuity… I would do it’. I also feel it’s a delicate time now. I don’t think Jamaica is out of the woods yet economically at all and we have a number of very pressing issues hanging over our heads in this country,” Zacca said. “There are some governance issues that I’m worried about, too and I am very concerned about the way the world economy is going… It really appears to be on a seesaw right now, so I just feel it’s an important time to have a strong PSOJ and I felt like I could do the job and I decided to do it.”

For his second stint at the helm, Zacca will continue to build on the work that was done by his predecessor over the last three years while implementing his own mandate.

“There are two main areas that I see myself focusing on: con-tinuing to have the PSOJ integrate itself into the wider society and link with the small business community, which I have to give a lot of credit to Joe for,” he said. “Secondly, economically, we have to push for growth and that has to be the focus of the PSOJ under me.”

It is no secret that Jamaica’s economy has not grown significantly since achieving independence in 1962. There have been periods of growth, particularly in the 1960s and the mid to late 1980s, but other than that, things have basically flat lined. With the world economy still teetering, it is even more critical that small countries like Jamaica get on stable footing.

“I’ve actually started some work with the Planning Institute of Jamaica to collaborate with us to [measure] how well this coun-try has done since independence, comparing to other countries throughout the world that are in similar situations as us – inde-pendent for 50 years or so,” Zacca stated. “The fact is that since independence… we’ve averaged growth in GDP per capita of around 0.6 per cent; the global average has been about 1.8 per cent over the 50 years. That means, where others are today, we are going to take another 150 years to get to. That, to me, is very frightening and all leaders, including the business leaders in the country, have to stand back and really assess themselves in this 50th year of independence.” Zacca will therefore be relying on his team of officers and other executive committee members to help push the growth agenda.

Cover storyChristopher Zacca:

The right man for the times

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Christopher Zacca, President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica

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“My approach to being president of this organisation is to be inclusive and to get some bottom-up type of initiatives, where I listen to the membership and mould the direction of the or-ganisation based on that,” he said.

Matalon has also agreed to continue representing the organisa-tion in several initiatives, including the Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) on tax reform. “Also, he had taken the PSOJ into being a big part of the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition and that also will continue. I think it’s important for the PSOJ to be a part of civil society in a broader sense,” Zacca noted.

A graduate of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology and the University of Florida, Zacca brings to the table more than 20 years experience as a top executive at some of Jamaica’s leading companies, including Desnoes and Ged-des, where he worked his way from engineer to vice president of the engineering department. He also spent 18 years with the Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) Group, where he was managing director of Caribrake and later, Appliance Traders, before rising to the position of deputy chairman. Zacca also ran Air Jamaica for seven years during this period and was also a director of Sandals Resorts International.

Certainly, Matalon left a lasting impression on the PSOJ and Zacca has some big shoes to fill. However, with such a strong background, the knowledge gained from operating his own businesses and current investment projects, plus his public sector experience, he is on firm footing.

Perhaps the hardest part of the job for Zacca will be trying to balance the time-consuming responsibilities of his new posi-tion with his business ventures and, of course, being there for his family, which includes a six-month old son. But again, he has a plan of action at hand.

“I am very good at delegating and apportioning how I spend my time. I always work through and with people and I think that with the tremendous team that we have at the PSOJ, I can integrate that time into my other activities and find that balance and be a good leader,” he stated.

Zacca has high expectations of himself going into office and hopes that at the end of his term, however long it may be, Jamaicans will see that the country is truly poised for growth.

“I want to say that I am intensely committed to the principles and ideals of the PSOJ and its membership. It is just as relevant today as when it started in the 70s. In my view, we all need to work together to continue to strengthen it, to integrate it into other areas of society so that we have a very strong voice in advocacy,” he said. “And we need to remember that it’s not all about big business. We have to look at small businesses and find a way to represent their voices at the highest level too. I have no doubt I am inheriting a strong organisation. Joe did a fabulous job and it is really in good shape and I intend to have my successor say the same thing about me.”

Zacca, then the chairman of the LNG Steering Committee, makes a presentation at a meeting of the Energy and Environment Committee

earlier this year.

The primary focus of Zacca’s tenure will be promoting economic growth

ecil Lindo grew up in Craig Head, Manchester, with-out his parents as his mother left him in the care of her aunt. His father was never around. When his

grandaunt passed away, the 14-year-old had to drop out of the Junior Six class at primary school and fend for himself.

Lindo never took the easy road in life, having paid the price for a childhood prank of stealing a piece of yam from his guardian’s kitchen. “She gi mi some beating pon mi 10 finger an say don’t thief again. I was around age 10,” he recalled.

This philosophy has carried Lindo a long way, from working odd jobs in his native Manchester to his current position as caretaker of the PSOJ’s property at 39 Hope Road.

At 68, Lindo’s recollection is still razor sharp and his jovial spirit makes him seem about 10 years younger. He recounted moving to Kingston at 15, on April 18, 1949 to live with his cousin in Allman Town. He worked as a gardener at a resi-dence on Constant Spring Road, but left due to unsuitable living conditions. His next stop was Hughes’ Bakery (now Yummy Bakery, owned by Continental Baking Company Ltd), where he worked on and off before going into construction.

It was while working in this sector 26 years ago that Lindo caught the attention of former PSOJ president Delroy Lind-say and asked him about a job. Lindo was in charge of the keys for a newly completed housing complex on Lady Mus-grave Road, where Lindsay had purchased an apartment and the two men would talk when Lindsay invited friends to view the property before moving in.

“I remember one Wednesday I was working and … him carry one letter come give me say I must go to 14 Hope Road (the PSOJ’s former location) for a interview and they decide to give me the caretaking work,” he explained.

Lindo has always taken great pride in his work and hasn’t slowed down with age. He stays on property, going home to Franklin Town for weekends. He rises at 4am every morning and cleans before he even takes a shower and has breakfast. Sometimes, he will get the office running before anyone else arrives, making coffee and welcoming the staff as they come in. Lindo is such a part of the PSOJ that he even got married in the main boardroom in 2001.

“I love this PSOJ, because what I have, is here I get it,” he said. “I get along with everybody, especially my boss, Mrs Glasgow.”

Lindo, who has eight children, is past the traditional retire-ment age, but doesn’t even entertain the prospect of going home “just to sit down”. His last child, 10-year-old, Sidona, is excelling at school and wants to be a teacher and he is willing to work as long as it takes to secure her future.

“Sometimes I sit and I say, ‘How I just go through so? I don’t have education, but I go through. Sometimes man, mi cry. God is God,” he shared.

meet the stAffCecil Lindo:

Caretaker par excellence

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Cecil Lindo, caretaker at the PSOJ

50underfIftyCaribbean Producers Jamaica provides million-dollar

support to 50UnderFifty Awards

aribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ), being less than 20 years old, embodies the vision behind the 50Under-Fifty awards programme, which aims to support the

entrepreneurs and business leaders who have helped to build Jamaica and will take the country into the next 50 years.

The company, founded by Tom Tyler and Mark Hart in 1994, shows the level of success attainable doing business in Jamaica within a relatively short time frame. This makes the partner-ship between the company and the PSOJ a great fit. The com-pany is sponsoring the 50UnderFifty awards to the tune of one million dollars. This includes in cash support as well as product donations for the awards banquet.

CPJ’s location in Montego Bay has so far limited their level of involvement with the PSOJ, “but with Sandra Glasgow acting

as our mentor for the board and our presence being more visible with our store in Kingston, we plan to be more active,” said Jan Polack, Chief Operating Officer.

CPJ has had quite a diverse history, beginning with paper prod-ucts and then moving into the food and beverage industry with a range of locally and internationally manufactured grocery items, including seafood, dairy products, wines and spirits. They opened a liquid egg processing plant in 2007 and, more recently, a meat processing plant.

“As a young, fast growing and truly Jamaican company, we are ecstatic about [being a part of the programme]. We exemplify 50UnderFifty and are serious about giving back to Jamaica. We are building for another 50 years and beyond,” said Tyler, the company’s CEO.

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Thomas Tyler, founder of CPJ Jan Polock, Chief Operating Officer of CPJ

50underfIftyEXIM Bank proud to support 50UnderFifty Awards

XIM Bank Jamaica and the Private Sector Organisa-tion of Jamaica have had a longstanding relationship, so when the PSOJ decided to launch its award pro-gramme ‘50UnderFifty: Business Leaders Shaping Ja-

maica’s Future’, it was only natural that the bank would be on board to offer support.

“The programme is in keeping with EXIM’s mandates, that is highlighting successful small and medium-sized business en-terprises within the country,” said Managing Director, Lisa Bell. “We feel that by highlighting successful businesses, we will be able to help in stimulating a group of entrepreneurs who may be daunted by some of the challenges that the country is facing.”

The awards programme was designed to celebrate Jamaica’s golden jubilee by highlighting 50 business leaders under 50 years old who have contributed to the country’s develop-ment or are expected to help Jamaica to realise its Vision 2030 goals. EXIM Bank is providing $300,000 in financial sup-port to the programme.

“Beyond the financial sponsorship, we generally support all the initiatives of the PSOJ,” said Bell. The members of the PSOJ are potential clients and stakeholders of EXIM Bank, so the institution has maintained a strong relationship with the organisation in order to guarantee that they always offer relevant products and services.

“My personal belief is that the only hope for Jamaica is if we stimulate the productive sector; for too long we’ve been not achieving what is uniquely possible and we have to realise that the small and medium-sized sector are the engines of growth and if we don’t stimulate ours, we’re going to be in serious problems,” Bell stated. “We’re going to have to grow ourselves out of this debt. It can’t be another way. Stimulat-ing the productive sector is imperative in the economy.”

EXIM Bank has been around for just over 25 years and has financed some of the most successful companies in Jamaica today, including household names like Grace Kennedy and Wysinco. “EXIM bank finances the entire productive sector; however, we put special emphasis on exporters and com-panies that provide goods and services to exporters. So we look at the whole exporting value chain,” said Bell.

The bank offers a number of cash flow financing solutions for businesses in the productive sector. It has just revamped its trade credit insurance programme, which provides protec-tion for domestic as well as overseas suppliers against non-payment of receivables.

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Lisa Bell, Managing Director of EXIM Bank

hAPPenIngsHighlights from the 24th Annual General Meeting

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he 24th Annual General Meeting of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica was held on Wednesday, July 4 at the Knutsford Court Hotel.

One of the main items on the agenda was the election of new members to the Council. The Council comprises 20 com-pany members, five individual members and up to 25 association members. Ten company members were up for re-election, with the other 10 serving a second year on Council. The ten com-panies elected were: Citigroup, Continental Baking Company Limited, GraceKennedy Limited, Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited, Jamaica Producers Group Limited, Musson Jamaica Limited, PanCaribbean Financial Services Limited, Sagicor Life of Jamaica Limited, The Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited and WISYNCO Group Limited.

Members of the Executive Committee delivered their final re-ports for 2011/2012 and shared the highs and lows of the past year. In his final address to the organisation as President, Joseph Matalon summed up some of the achievements of his admin-istration. These include the work of the committees, which have drafted and submitted position papers on various issues of national importance, such as national security, education, en-ergy and tax reform. In the case of the latter, the Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) on Tax Reform delivered a proposal for a more equitable and transparent tax regime.

“I am proud of the fact that through the PSWG, we were able to bring together associations that have, in the past, been unable to achieve consensus, to agree on what we all believed was the

best proposal to achieve our stated goal,” Matalon said. “Obvi-ously, we did not achieve our goal but remain hopeful that in the near future, government will see fit to adopt the key recommen-dations that will put Jamaica on a sustainable path to growth.”

Additionally, the Trade Policy Committee successfully imple-mented the Meet Jamaica at London 2012 initiative, which will be in full effect during the Olympic Games; the Membership Committee has been revived and has successfully employed strategies to increase membership, such as the Mentorship of Emerging Entrepreneurial Leaders dinners, where experienced members impart knowledge to the younger members of the or-ganisation. Finally, the Commercial Alternative Dispute Resolu-tion Centre (CADRC) was formally opened in January 2011.

The signature undertaking of the Matalon adminsitration has been the Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) pro-gramme, which began in January 2011 with just under 1,000 young people participating. To date, some 500 young people, deemed at risk, are fully engaged in YUTE academic, vocational and life skills programmes.

“My three year tenure as President has been marked by several highs and lows, but I would not have been able to do any justice to the position were it not for the support received from so many members: the Officer Corps, the Executive Committee, Council, past presidents, Committee chairs and members and, of course, the faithful members of our secretariat,” Matalon said.

Joseph M Matalon delivers his final address as President of the PSOJ at the 2012 Annual General Meeting on July 4. At the head table are Officers (L-R)Earl Jarrett, Honorary Secretary; Don Wehby, Vice President; Nicholas Scott, Vice President; Sandra Glasgow, CEO and Jacqueline Sharp,

Honorary Treasurer.

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hAPPenIngsHighlights from the 2012 Annual General Meeting

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he Membership Committee of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica hosted its second quarterly Executive Lyme at the Spanish Court Hotel on Friday, July 6.

The event was sponsored by International Asset Services Ltd. Food and refresh-ments were provided by Jamaica Broilers, Rainforest Seafoods and Caribbean Producers Jamaica.

hAPPenIngsMembers enjoy second Executive Lyme

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hAPPenIngsMembers salute Joseph M Matalon for three years of excellent service

embers of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, including several past Presidents and Hall of Fame in-ductees, in addition to special guests Canadian High Commissioner, His Excellency Stephen Hallihan, Arun

Kashyap, the UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Repre-sentative and Minister of Tourism Wyckham McNeil came out in their numbers to a luncheon honouring Joseph M Matalon, who demited office on July 19. There was a cheerful mood in the ball-room at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel as several members shared their reflections on Matalon’s three-year presidency and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Master of ceremonies, William McConnell, started the ball a-rolling by commending Matalon on his “single-mindedness of purpose” in encouraging and cooperating with the government, sectoral inter-ests and businesses, to achieve a better enabling environment while advocating for the rule of law and the need for a coalition with civil society.

Past Vice President Nicholas Scott shared five lessons that he learned from being an “eyewitness” to Matalon’s leadership: be selfless and objective; be open and inclusive; be brave; be compas-sionate and be fully committed. “Joe has shown us that it’s the pur-suit of the greater good over the long term that carries the greatest reward - not our own immediate interests,” he said.

“In the tradition of the PSOJ, I’ve watched Joe put the interests of his own businesses aside and steadfastly ask: what’s best for our members? What’s best for our country?”

CEO of the organisation, Sandra Glasgow, shared a heartfelt trib-ute from the staff of the secretariat, based on their regular interac-tions with Matalon over the past three years. Together, they came up with nine qualities that made him an exemplary leader: He has incredible people skills; he led by example; he is super competent; he is an effective communicator; he is passionate; he is a visionary; he can be trusted; he shows empathy and he engaged his team. “We all felt incredibly lucky and it was our distinct honour and priv-ilege to have worked with you over the past three years. You have been an inspiration to many of us in so many ways,” she said.

Glasgow concluded with the words of staff members Violet Vassell and Angela Williams: “As Violet says, ‘May all the energy and pas-sion that you have poured in the PSOJ; the time, effort, wisdom, abilities, money, etc., be returned to you, your family and your busi-ness a hundredfold! Thank you for being such an excellent example of what a leader should be!’ And as Angela, our resident poet says, “You have definitely left your footprints in the sand that no wind can blow away.’

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hAPPenIngsMembers salute Joseph M Matalon for three years of excellent service

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neWsFrom the CEO’s Report

EcoNoMIc HIGHLIGHTSJamaica’s economy grows at slower pace of 0.6 per cent in Q1 2012 The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) reported that Jamaica’s econ-omy grew by 0.6 per cent in the January - March quarter. This was the fifth consecutive quarter of growth and the first full fiscal year of growth since 2007. Growth in Q1 was slower than in the previ-ous quarter and the PIOJ noted that though there were increases in business and consumer confidence and loans and advances by the commercial banks increased by 11.4 per cent relative to the previous quarter, there was a net loss of 23,000 jobs as of the end of January.

Table1a: Year-over-year change in quarterly GDP

coMMITTEE NEWS

crIME SToPThe Crime Stop Coordinator’s report highlighted the following for the month of June:•The number of calls in June (57) decreased by 26 per cent over that in May. The number of calls to date (409) is two per cent below the level at the corresponding month in 2011.

•The number of web tips (12) increased by 20 per cent over the previous month. Year-to-date, web tips are 489 per cent over that received in total in 2011.•The average number of tips per week (13) decreased by 24 per cent over the previous month.•The number of arrests in June (three) was 57 per cent lower than in May. Year-to-date, the number of arrests is 26, or 54 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year.•The number of successes (10) was 25 per cent higher in June than in May.•A total of $125,000 in rewards were paid out in June, 443 per cent more than in May; property recovered was valued at $770,600, 157 per cent more than in May, although year-to-date, the value of prop-erty recovered was $3.6M, 72 per cent below last year’s total of $13M.

STANDING coMMITTEE oN NATIoNAL SEcurITYHighlights from the meeting on June 19 are as follows:•The Jamaica Constabulary Force is implementing several areas of the strategic review of the police force. However, there were other areas that, based on the original timelines, are yet to be implement-ed. The Committee asked the JCF representative, Deputy Commis-sioner of Police Glenmore Hinds, to submit a written update on the progress of this review and a letter is to be sent to the Commissioner in this regard. •The meeting was informed that the Minister of National Security is contemplating the merger of the JCF & Island Special Constabulary Force. The Committee agreed that it would be useful to seek an-other audience with the Minister of National Security as a follow up to the meeting held on March 13. •Arising from the Flow President’s Forum held in Montego Bay to present the Committee’s position paper on national security, the meeting was informed of plans being pursued by Flow to assist the police in making available high-end technology that will improve their capability to respond to the discharge of a firearm. The technology, called ‘Shot Spotter’, will sense where a gunshot has been discharged, determine the calibre weapon and the actual location from which the shot was discharged.

Industrial Sectors

Q1 2011

Q2 2011

Q3 2011

Q4 2011

Q1 2012

Total GDP Goods Producing Industries Agric, Forestry & Fishing Mining & Quarrying Manufacture Construction & Installation Services Industries Electricity & Water Supply Trans, Storage & Communication Wholesale & Retail Trade etc. Finance & Insurance Services Real Estate, Renting & Business Services Producers of Government Services Hotels & Restaurants Other Services Source: PIOJ

1.6

5.9

13.7 37.5 -0.5

-0.2

-0.2

1.6

-1.1

0.0

-3.0

0.0

-0.4 4.3 0.6

2.1

5.6

10.7 33.8 -0.4

1.4

0.9

0.3

3.3

0.0

-0.1

0.7

0.3 2.4 0.7

0.5

2.6

2.9 7.7 2.1

1.4

-0.2

1.1

-2.0

0.1

-1.1

0.8

0.5 0.0 -0.8

1.7

6.0

15.0 8.0 4.7

0.1

0.0

3.5

-1.6

0.7

-0.7

0.5

-0.5 0.8 -0.3

0.6

1.4

7.0 -5.5 0.4

-0.5

0.2

0.1

-1.0

0.5

0.0

0.5

0.0 1.0 0.4

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EDucATIoN AND cSr coMMITTEEThe Committee met on Friday, June 8. Highlights from the meeting are as follows:

cSr survey initiativeThe sub-committee has been working on the draft CSR survey with Brigette McDonald Levy who is experienced in measuring CSR in Ja-maica. This will be done in using online service Survey Monkey with three segments and will be sent to the PSOJ membership.

Zoo KingstonThe Committee had its May meeting at Zoo Kingston. The operators of Zoo Kingston have been actively engaging corporate citizens for fi-nancial support for the Zoo. The developmental plan for the Zoo was circulated to committee members. A monthly budget (projection) is being prepared, which will allow companies or individuals to provide finances for feeding the animals.

YuTEThe YUTE Programme is mourning the loss of one of its own. Ka-vorn Schue, a former participant in the U-Turn Programme, met an untimely end in a controversial police shooting on Mountain View Av-enue. He was a very promising young man who, ironically, was await-ing an acceptance call to enter the JCF. The YUTE office will be placing an obituary in the print media.

National Youth ServiceThe board of the NYS will be reviewing the organisation’s position and plan strategically to address the issues facing Jamaican youth. To this end, a series of consultations/meetings with board members and staff were held to determine an operational plan of action, pro-gramme design and execution.

•An invitation was issued by Chairman, Lloyd Eubank-Green, to Committee members to participate in interviews on an educational programme he hosts on Irie FM.

•A shipment of wheelchairs will be arriving in the island shortly. The wheelchairs will be made available to needy persons for a contribu-tion of J$6,000.00.

other education-related matters:•A special invitation was extended to presidents of the PSOJ associa-tions to attend the next Education Committee meeting scheduled for July 13. Former education minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson, made a presentation on the Jamaica Tertiary Sector Commission.•Staff member of the PSOJ read at the organisation’s adopted school, St Michael’s Primary, on July 2.

ENErGY AND ENVIroNMENT coMMITTEEThe Committee met on June 20.

DecouplingAlberto Gonzalez Moncaleano of Sustainable Energy Systems, Eras-

mus Mundus Programme, gave a presentation entitled ‘An Analysis - Conditions for Decoupling Electricity Generation, Transmission & Distribution in Jamaica’. Some of the findings presented include:• Suriname, Belize, Slovenia (Europe), New Zealand and the Canary Islands all have market sizes comparable to Jamaica. However, Suri-name, Belize and the Canary Islands have more separated structures for power generation and transmission. In the case of Slovenia and New Zealand, it is completely separated.• The legal framework that guarantees the protection of indepen-dent power production should be revised in order to give priority to renewable energy source (RES) generation. On islands where such measures were taken, such as Crete, RES penetration increased from two to 10 per cent in a few years and now is 15 per cent.• Introducing competition on generation and retail of electricity might lower the costs of production, increase efficiency and provide better service. However, lowering production costs does not always reflect a decrease in electricity prices for end consumers.

The main recommendation was the need for the introduction of a new transmission system operator in charge of the management of the national grid, which guarantees transparency and access for all stakeholders.

cTI Private Financing Advisory NetworkEaton Haughton presented on CTI PFAN and opportunities for PSOJ/CTI PFAN collaboration. CTI PFAN is a multilateral initiative with various financial and energy partners that contribute diverse re-sources to its programmes.

The PFAN programme would cover the cost of consultants who would provide business advisory services to project developers, so that projects could become ‘bankable. The PFAN programme would also connect viable and bankable projects with financial partners such as international investment banks, venture capital funds, multilateral and bilateral development banks and commercial banks.

PFAN distributed requests for proposals in July. PSOJ could submit an application under this call.

Selected projects will be announced on October 31. By January 8, 2013, the projects must have their first draft business plan (in the case of the PSOJ project, most likely an energy audit would have been completed before then). On February 12, PFAN will announce the 10 finalists that will participate in the financial forum on April 25.

The customs department presented on the improvements to its sys-tem:• Customs collection represents 35 per cent of the total national budget• Increased focus placed on customer service improvements• Processing of goods for values up to US$3,000 can be processed electronically• Improved processes and electronic systems implemented• Paperless project to come on stream by 2013• Passenger processing times within international standards

A project to implement a port community system is in the develop-ment stage:• The objective is to establish an electronic platform for the integra-tion of port communities for the improved movement and tracking of cargo• Public-private partnership is essential to the project• Currently in a tender procurement stage for the selection of a suit-able investment partner• Procurement process will take a year and will be implemented two years thereafter

The minister committed to the establishment of a logistics hub at Vernamfield.

MEMbErSHIP coMMITTEEThe monthly meeting of the Membership Committee was not con-vened. Instead, the 50UnderFifty Planning Committee met on June 21. The project plan was discussed and timelines agreed.

Mentoring Entrepreneurial LeadersThe 10th dinner in the series was held on June 21 at the Spanish Court Hotel. Guest Mentor was Charles Johnston, Chairman of Ja-maica Producers Group Ltd, which sponsored the event. The entre-preneurs in attendance were: • Gillian Zacca – OMG Boutique • Tamara Harding – Agency 20 Seven • Zachary Harding – Agency 20 Seven • Gordon Swaby – EduFocal Ltd • Cary Gordon – Carlisa Enterprises • Lisa Gordon – Carlisa Enterprises• Keneea Linton-George – KTL Group/Mission Catwalk

Membership subscriptions Eighty-nine per cent of the total projected for membership subscrip-tions has been collected. This represents 83 per cent payment made by members. Members with outstanding subscriptions have been contacted regarding their balance. Subscription collection for the month of June was J$3,537,180.37.

Membership application packages Membership packages were sent to:• Green Sun Energy Partners • Paramount Trading • Insight Studios

New membersThere were six new members: • The Herald Ltd – Corporate Member • Kris An Charles Investments Ltd – Corporate Member • Power Solutions Technology Ltd – Corporate Member • Berry-Don Financial Services Ltd – Corporate Member • Management Control Systems Ltd – Corporate Member • Council for Voluntary Social Services – Association Member

MessageA congratulatory message in celebration of DunnCox’s 70th anniver-sary was submitted from PSOJ for inclusion in their print anniversary supplement.

TrADE PoLIcY coMMITTEE (TPc)Jamaica coalition of Service Industries (JcSI )A JCSI meeting was held on June 8 which looked at refining a ser-vice sector development strategy over the next 18 weeks, with a focus on three areas of service sector development: (1) related to industry, (2) customer related and (3) fusion services – services fused with goods – software, hardware, customer experience. The strategy would create an enabling framework for service sector development.It was noted that simple services are prone to automation and that the prospects for long-term employment generation in these areas would not be good. Therefore, a service sector development strat-egy would need to concentrate on the faster growing service areas related to customer experience in medical and high-value tourism, offshore education and cultural industries. There was a need for greater integration of small businesses into the supply chain for these industries.

While employment considerations could not be ignored, it was nec-essary to consider long-term spin off effects of service sector devel-opment and sustainability rather than just short-term employment creation. Canada and Australia were said to be useful models to look at for service sector development.

It was agreed that the documents produced so far by the JCSI have not drilled down to the details of what needs to be done.

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National competitiveness council (Ncc)A meeting of the NCC was held on June 12, chaired by the Min-ister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton. It was decided that the Council would meet every two months.

The meeting looked at the latest Doing Business Report, which rates 183 countries according to various competitiveness indices. Some excerpts were:• Jamaica’s rating has fallen behind over the last five years• Other countries getting better relative to Jamaica – Colombia, Panama• Jamaica is number 23 for starting a business – takes seven days; global average is 30 days• Getting credit – 98 ranking• Protecting Investors – 79 ranking• Paying taxes – 172 ranking• Trading across borders – 97 ranking• Enforcing contracts – 126 ranking

The tax department presented on the improvements made to the tax payment system:• The ease of paying taxes has improved considerably over the last two years, but not reflected in the Doing Business Report, which is based on 2010 data.• Consolidated Employer’s Annual Return has been implemented• Complete online system to be rolled out – almost all taxes will be able to be paid online• Only five percent of taxes are currently being collected online• Allows for single payment online for a variety of taxes – NHT, NIS, Education Tax, HEART• Employers no longer have to visit several offices• Single audit for all agencies• Very high banking fees for online transactions – government lob-bying the banking sector to reduce these charges• Standards developed and published• Registering property – the process takes about 30 days

The customs department presented on the improvements to its system:• Customs collection represents 35 per cent of the total national budget• Increased focus placed on customer service improvements• Processing of goods for values up to US$3,000 can be processed electronically• Improved processes and electronic systems implemented• Paperless project to come on stream by 2013• Passenger processing times within international standards

A project to implement a port community system is in the devel-opment stage:• The objective is to establish an electronic platform for the in-tegration of port communities for the improved movement and tracking of cargo• Public-private partnership is essential to the project

• Currently in a tender procurement stage for the selection of a suitable investment partner• Procurement process will take a year and will be implemented two years thereafter

The minister committed to the establishment of a logistics hub at Vernamfield.

ProJEcTSYuTESkills trainingOne hundred and sixty-two participants have been identified to participate in Cycle 1 of the YUTE/PetroCaribe Development Fund Skills Training Programme. The participating institutions in-clude: Bars to Go Training Institute (40 Participants – Food and Beverage Preparation and Mixology), Institute of Workforce Edu-cation and Development (72 Participants – Housekeeping, Cus-tomer Service, Data Operations and Business Administration) and Jan’s Catering Institute (50 Participants – Food Preparation). Classes began on July 15.

Pre-Skills (Learn & Earn)Pre-Skills Training for the Jones Town, Rose Town and Trench Town Communities started on June 25. There was a 15 per cent (22 participants) class attendance on the first day. The class atten-dance number is expected to increase within the following weeks. Five trainers have been assigned to the centres for these Pre-Skills Training Centres.

olympic Gardens centreThe Level 4 class at the Olympic Gardens Pre-Skills Training Cen-tre ended on May 31 due to poor class attendance. The partici-pants were referred to the Drewsland Pre-Skills Training Centre, which they started to attend on June 4.

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DrewslandThe presence of the Olympic Gardens students has resulted in a 30 per cent increase in the number of participants attending class at the Drewsland Centre. On June 27, the Level 4 participants who had started Pre-Skills Training on March 19 completed their programme. They sat the Jamaica Foundation for Life Long Learning Achievement Survey on June 28.

rockfort The Level 4 participants at the Rockfort Pre-Skills Training Centre completed training on June 28 and sat the level 4 JFLL Achievement Survey on July 3.

Pre-Skills Training ActivitiesArticle critique competition - Level 3 The article critique competition is between the Rockfort and Parade Gardens Level 3 participants. Each centre was given two articles to critique. The submission date for the critique was July 9.

Spelling bee competition The first and second official rounds of the spelling bee competition were held between June 5 and 21. The grand finale was held on July 11 at the Institute of Jamaica.

Issue• The delay in the start-up of pre-skills training for Jones Town, Rose Town and Trench Town has led to a decrease of the participant’s interest in the YUTE Programme. This is evident in the low number of participants who turned up for training on June 25.• The dismissal of a trainer from the programme or the termination of class negatively impacts on class attendance.• There has been some difficulty identifying a classroom space for the Maxfield Pre-Skills Training Centre.

Entrepreneurship Junior Achievement TrainingJunior Achievement Training commenced at the Parade Gardens Pre-Skills Training Centre among Level 4 participants on June 6. The ses-sions are held on Wednesdays between 9am and noon. Participants are expected to complete their training in September. The sessions are facilitated by Junior Achievement Jamaica.

Training at the Rockfort Pre-Skills Centre continues each Tuesday. The first cohort of Junior Achievers completed training on June 21. Junior Achievement Jamaica ExpositionJunior Achievement Jamaica hosted an exposition of their company programmes on June 29 on the East Lawns of Devon House. YUTE participants from the first cohort got the opportunity to display and sell their product: Yard and Abroad Distributors (YAAD) Meat Sea-soning. Rockfort Pre-Skills Trainees attended the expo and got the chance to sell company shares and to show potential investors their product.

Micro-FranchiseDistribution micro-franchiseesThe micro-franchisees are monitored weekly to ensure that they are selling products and to discuss any concerns and challenges they may have. Some of their concerns/challenges include:• Violence in their communities• Price changes made to several products and the time • Route van salesmen/drivers reluctance to come to their com munities

The participants have since received new price lists and discussions have been held with the supervisors of Facey Commodity concern-ing the actions of the drivers.Micro-franchisees are active in the following communities: Jones Town, Kingston Gardens, Parade Gardens and Trench Town.

The micro-franchisees in Jones Town have been reduced from five to one during the month of June. A meeting was held on June 4 to discuss outstanding balances which should have been paid off by May 27 and the lack of sales activity since the initial order was made on May 16.

The meeting resulted with four of the participants indicating that they are no longer interested in participating in the Micro-franchise Project. Three of the participants will be transferred to other com-ponents of the YUTE programme while the fourth participant has decided to terminate ties with the programme.

cosmetics Micro-franchiseesThe T Geddes Grant team along with the entrepreneurship officer met with the cosmetics micro-franchisees on June 12 to provide the two young ladies with product samples they can purchase for re-sale. They have also experienced delays in accessing a new price list. The officer has since received the new price list, which will be distributed to the participant.

recruitmentDuring the month, a meeting was held at the Inner-city for Christ Ministries, Trench Town, with young people interested in hearing about the entrepreneurship programme.

career Preparedness WorkshopsTwo Study Preparedness Workshops (SPWs) were conducted for over 40 YUTE participants on June 17-18 and June 28-29. The SPWs targeted young people who began their skills training programme in July. Seventeen participants involved in customer service training at Fullgram Solutions Limited participated in a career preparedness workshop on the date.

upcoming Events for Study Preparedness WorkshopAnother session for participants who have completed their customer service training at Fullgram Solutions will be held on July 25 and 26.

Mentorship The following events were held for the YUTE mentorship pro-gramme: June 9 – Mentor training and matchingJune 20 – Mentor trainingJune 20 – Mentors’ quarterly meeting

coMMErcIAL ALTErNATIVE DISPuTE rESoLuTIoN cENTrE (cADrc)Justice Hugh Small was interviewed by Cheddie Creighton on CVM Live at 7 about the operations and services of the CADRC; this in-terview was aired on June 19.

The Chief Justice responded on June 22 to our June 6 letter indicating that our proposal for referral status for Supreme Court mediations was discussed at the Rules Committee meeting held on June 7. A number of issues were raised at this meeting, for instance, the Rules Committee has requested additional information on the CADRC’s operations and services.

To date, the CADRC has received 26 calls regarding disputes since the implementation of the public relations campaign. There were four confirmed bookings for this month – two for workshops and two or ADR consultations.

Eu bANANA SuPPorT ProGrAMME – ST JAMES YouTH TrAINING AND Job PLAcEMENT ProJEcTThe work at the Cambridge facility have been completed. Tactical Radio has installed all contracted computer equipment and associ-ated equipment. Dennis Wanliss, liaison officer, confirmed satisfac-tory supply and installation and that all equipment is in good work-ing order. Project signs were erected at the Maldon and Cambridge facilities.

The second batch of training was completed on June 20 at the Mal-don facility. The programme was affected by the absence of trainers on certain days, which required the training period to be extended beyond that originally planned. The third batch of training began in mid-July, due to delays in the interviewing process by the HEART personnel. The project manager conducted evaluations with partici-pants in the programme and found that training was rated favourably overall.

The launch event for the project was held on June 22 at the Maldon Baptist Church with more than 100 persons in attendance. Pres-ent were: Pierre Dawson, Coordinator, European Banana Support Programme in Jamaica, RADA; Jesus Orus Baguena, Head of Op-erations, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands and The Cayman Islands; Hon Der-rick Kellier, Minister of Labour and Social Security and Member of Parliament for South St James; His Worship Glendon Harris, Mayor of Montego Bay; Joseph M Matalon, President, PSOJ; and Sandra Glasgow, CEO, PSOJ.

A job recruitment fair was held two hours before the launch on June 22, at which 25 persons from the project communities were regis-tered for interviews with Global Gateway. Most of these were train-ees who had just completed the training programme. The Human Resources Manager for Global Gateway was in attendance and he spoke with the applicants about the company’s hiring criteria.

Based on the current forecast, it seems unlikely that the project com-munities outlined in the project document will be able to supply 200 eligible persons for employment at Global Gateway. Therefore, a request will be made to the EU Banana Support Programme office to widen the geographical area of focus of the project to the entire parish of St James.

Liaison officers were instructed that all future remuneration remain-ing in the project period would be based on the lists of eligible per-sons recruited and employed by Global Gateway. Moveta Munroe of the Office of the Prime Minister informed that the next tranche of CDF funds for the project would be paid in July.

cDb ProJEcT: IMProVING cArIcoM MArKET Ac-cESS For JAMAIcAN GooDS AND SErVIcESFurther consideration and actions relating to the CARICOM study undertaken by Trevor Hamilton and Associates under the project would be taken after the PSOJ’s new executive is in place. Mendel Verlag: Feedback on the website developed by the firm has been received so far from GraceKennedy and Company; Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association; and the CARICOM Secretariat. The Trade and Environment Manager is currently following up feedback from seven other private sector stakeholders. The feedback so far has been fair with some areas of the website requiring improve-ments.

Business Bridges: A successful workshop with 23 participants was held on March 6 and 7. Final report submitted. Kisserup: EU export workshops for goods and services were held on June 5 and 6 at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel, with over 20 persons in attendance at each. The evaluations were generally good and the consultants have made recommendations for follow up actions with the participating companies.

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