MONTEGO BAY, St James — Newly elected president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) Davon Crump has promised that advocacy on behalf of businesses in the second city will be a priority of his administration.

In particular, he said, pushing wealth creation through strong representation is the solution to crime and poverty will be high on his agenda.

“We will not relent in our advocacy to foster a favourable environment within which the private sector can play its role in creating wealth from which the government can generate revenue, and also generate employment to minimise the problem of unemployment, poverty and crime in our society,” Crump pledged during his acceptance speech at the MBCCI’s annual general meeting held in Montego Bay last Wednesday evening.

Crump, who is the western regional manager of Chas E Ramson Limited, and who served as the MBCCI’s first vice president to outgoing president Patrick Casserly, who did not seek re-election, was unanimously elected as chamber president during the meeting.

Business owner Stephen Dear was elected first vice-president; a former chamber president, Pauline Reid, was voted second vice-president, and Western Mirror publisher Lloyd B Smith, third vice-president. A 19-member board was also elected during the meeting.

In his address, Crump, who argued that Montego Bay was on “the cusp of a business boom”, expressed his intention to seek consensus on growing businesses in the tourism capital.

“We will actively continue to attract investments to increase job opportunities in our city,” Crump noted.

Efforts would also be made, he pledged, to seek dialogue among members of the chamber.

“We are going to have to consult more with businesses in general to determine strategies that we, as a chamber, will put into effect to their benefit,” Crump argued.

“In order to do that, we need to know the businesses that are operating in the Montego Bay area, whether large, medium or small. We believe that in knowing the businesses, we will be better able to serve their needs. If we are able to better represent their interests, then attracting new members won’t be such a mammoth task,” he added.

He told members of the MBCCI that he intended to seek the support and participation of small and medium-sized businesses in the activities of the chamber.

He announced that the membership should also expect to see continued representation to the authorities, in a bid to make it less of a hassle for companies doing business in the city.

The new MBCCI president declared the incoming administration’s intention to focus its energies on providing business support which is primarily information-based, as well as networking opportunities to members.

He also said his team intended to step up the tempo of the Chamber’s advocacy on critical issues affecting business owners in the parish, especially on matters affecting trade and industry.

The incoming president also said that his administration intends to facilitate linkages between members to establish sources and outlets for goods and services both locally and internationally.