KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Forestry Department received €850,000 (J$128 million) European Union-funded technical assistance in Jamaica’s push to become an efficient player in the green economy.

The assistance is providing support to develop a suitable business model for the Department which will assist it in achieving increased levels of operational efficiency, as well as identifying new and emerging business opportunities for the organisation, a Forestry Department release said.

This will contribute positively to the Agency’s thrust to expand the portfolio of goods and services from which it derives revenue and will provide information to support business-related discussions on Jamaica’s forest sector generally, the release added.  

The business model will outline costing models, marketing strategies for traditional and non-traditional goods and services offered by the Forestry Department, as well as the integration of online services, e-commerce processes and application models within the existing operational framework of the Agency.

It will also include some of the more readily appreciable income generating opportunities offered by Jamaica’s forests, namely ecotourism, with specific attention being given to the recreational facility managed by the Agency.

The three-year project kicked off earlier this month at a meeting held at the Forestry Department’s head office in St Andrew attended by representatives of the EU Delegation, the Forestry Department and the project consultants.

“The ultimate aim is to have a business model developed for the Agency that first and foremost meets our needs as the technical repository of information on forests in Jamaica,” Acting CEO of the Forestry Department Rainee Oliphant said. “The model will, once implemented, enhance the operational efficiencies and expand revenue generation opportunities”.