A manufacturer reportedly witnessed a significant increase in sales after allegedly removing the ‘made in Jamaica’ tags from apparel destined for the local market.

Wykeham McNeil, the state minister for industry and tourism, swears that the local garments in question are of superior quality.

“Objectively, the outfits being produced by this local manufacturer were superior to most of the parallel imports, yet a significant number of consumers were entrapped by their own perception, denying themselves the high quality of the Jamaican brand,” McNeil argued.

Local manufacturers and exporters, who are being constantly urged to produce more, have been fighting this local mindset of some consumers who perpetuate the notion that ‘what come from foreign must be better’.

This prevailing perception was among the points of concern raised at Tuesday’s media launch of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association/Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JMA/JEA) Expo 2006, slated to be held at the National Arena from April 27 to 30 under the theme “Buy Jamaican, Brand we Love”.

Approximately 250 Jamaican companies are expected to showcase a wide array of products and services ranging from advertising to wrought- iron products.

But the state minister told the launch that efforts to get locals to buy Jamaican products had to be encouraged.

He noted that events such as the Expo would continue to have a great role to play in reversing such trends until it was accepted that the “very name Jamaica was recognised as a hot property worldwide”.

“What else could account for 2005 yielding the best ever year in terms of stopover visitors, in spite of the many challenges that we have as a nation?” he quipped.

“The culinary connoisseurs of the world have long conceded that our ginger, our jerk, our coffee, our rum are more than just world-class, but in many instances -on top of the global pile,” said McNeil, adding that consumer awareness needed to be raised to the point where Jamaican shoppers stopped to consider the long-term effect on employment and the wider economy before purchasing an imported item over a Jamaican product.

Meanwhile, JMA president Doreen Frankson referred to the high trade imbalance – minus US$2.8 million last year – and called on locals to be conscious of their choices when purchasing goods and services.

She repeated concerns often expressed by those in the productive sector that the high interest rate regime was holding back investment, and called on producers to “join in the struggle for more competitive rates to facilitate faster growth and development”.

“Ad hoc financial facilities have been implemented in recent years, but the time has come for a holistic approach to making rates competitive to positively impact on entrepreneurism in Jamaica.

“At Expo 2006 you will see entrepreneurism at its best. However, more could be done to ensure manufacturers can compete more effectively in the increasingly liberalised trade environment in which we currently operate,” said Frankson.

This year’s Expo is being sponsored by Digicel, the main sponsor, along with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo), the National Commercial Bank (NCB), Capital and Credit Financial Group and Lithographic Printers.