THE Jamaica Manufacturer's Association on Wednesday opened a $5 million Business Information and Technology (BIT) centre at its head office on Duke Street with an urgent plea to members to utilise its services.

JMA president Doreen Frankson said the cyber centre would allow manufacturers to pay their duties online and to track the progress of their entries, avoiding long lines and delays in Customs.
Specifically, it will provide access to the Jamaica Trade Point network, allowing companies to complete and submit import and export forms online.

It is also a link to the Jamaica Customs' emanifest system, which will allow for the processing of customs related documents online.
The BIT centre, equipped with almost a dozen computers, will also offer, at a cost, office services, training and consulting services and meeting room facilities.

But more importantly, according to commerce, science and technology minister Phillip Paulwell, the service will allow access to market data, such as new developments in products, technologies and research that can inform their business decisions.

He said a recent survey showed that there was high information technology awareness among Jamaicans but access to the technology was not as high, especially among small and medium sized business.

"I really want to urge you all to utilise it," Paulwell said at the opening which was attended by JMA directors and members, representatives from the Inland Revenue Department and Jamaica Customs.

"Think of the reach you now have in terms of your market cost, your access to markets that you couldn't get to before, your market intelligence that can be derived from access to this type of database."
He noted that last week a world information technology survey ranked Jamaica 49th in terms of computer access, out of 104 countries, and third behind Brazil and Chile in the Latin America and South American region.

"We intend to be number one," he said. "In this study the government's policy initiative has been rewarded and given a high mark . because it is perceived that we have a very clear vision as to where we want to be and we are putting in place the necessary framework to achieve that," he said.

He added that one remaining bit of legislation needed to protect local business interests was the e-transaction law, which will be enacted later this year to deal with the problem of piracy.

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