PM urges private sector to invest in employees
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has made a call for corporate Jamaica to treat their workers well and invest in their development.
Holness said that such investment is one sure way to increase business productivity and spur the country’s economic growth.
“If our private sector treats our workers well, treats them as investments in the business, rewards them well, puts in place systems that help their development, then I am 100 per cent certain that this country will achieve not just stability but economic growth, through the efficiency and productivity of our workers,” he said.
“No business can succeed without having its workforce fully committed to its success,” the Prime Minister added.
He was delivering the main address at MegaMart Wholsale Club’s 20th anniversary long-service awards ceremony on Monday (November 18) at the AC Hotel by Marriott in New Kingston.
Holness, while noting that he is a firm believer in business, said that workers should be treated as an investment and not as an expense.
“As much as we engage in business to make a profit, we must engage in business to uplift our people,” he said.
He said that Jamaica needs a new approach to business where “value is shared appropriately between the capitalists in profit and the workers in their wages and income”.
The Prime Minister praised MegaMart for having the foresight to invest adequately in its labour force, noting that the returns are being seen in the high quality of service delivery.
“It is clear that you have put in place the human resource development systems that lead to your workers being comfortable, that they feel that they are a part of the business and, therefore, they deliver that high quality of service,” Holness said.
“And believe me, that is the greatest value of your brand,” he added.
He noted that “If businesses take this approach of incorporating labour as an investment, you will see the returns in efficiency and productivity, and that efficiency and productivity will translate into growth”.
Chief Executive Officer of MegaMart, Gassan Azan Jr said the company owes its success to the commitment of its employees.
He noted that the workers have contributed tremendously towards the company’s growth, and have helped to turn “a dream into a formidable brand”.
—JIS
