KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of Industry, Competitiveness & Global Logistics, Anthony Hylton, is supporting the call by the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) for “a new era” in Jamaica’s manufacturing and export sectors following a significant shift over recent years to import distribution.

In a statement today, following the recent JMEA Annual Exporters Awards ceremony, Hylton congratulated the organisation and its president, Richard Pandohie, for responding to the opportunities being presented by the favourable macro-economy developments along with the structural reforms implemented across political administrations.

“Energy has been a constraining factor affecting the manufacturing and export sector over the years and the sustained reduction in oil price, together with the introduction of liquefied natural gas, along with the greater role of renewable energy in the energy mix has greatly assisted the sector in achieving positive growth over the period,”Hylton said.

Hylton said that he was even more positive about the prospects for manufacturing and exports in the future, as the Opposition proposed to focus on opportunities created by the global supply chain and logistics initiative. This, he said, held significant promise for the growth of manufacturing and exports in Jamaica, due to the prospects for improved competitiveness and infrastructure.

“The improved infrastructure for transportation together with the advancing digital economy will further create the environment for sustained manufacturing and exports,” the Opposition spokesman said.

Hylton supported the call by Pandohie for stakeholders in the manufacturing and exports sector to work together to overcome legal, bureaucratic and financial systems constraints in order to quicken the pace of growth with good-paying jobs in the sector.