JMEA to take shape by late May
Published:Wednesday | April 25, 2018 | 12:00 AM
The pending merger of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association, JMA, and Jamaica Exporters' Association, JEA, has one central goal in mind - a more powerful lobby whose views resonate within the halls of power and serve to shape policy to the benefit of producers and exporters.
Apart, they see their treatment by the Government as akin to that of a "bastard child", but together, under the banner of the Jamaica Manufacturers' and Exporters' Association, JMEA, they will have the force of more than 600 voices to push their agenda.
"We are being pushed behind everything, including tourism, BPO and the other sectors, and being treated as a bastard child. We continue to feel that our policymakers and decision-makers do not see the link between manufacturing and the growth agenda of this country," said JMA Deputy President Richard Pandohie.
"Manufacturing and exports cannot be de-linked. They're one and the same. It will be now one celebration and one point of influence, because size does matter," said Pandohie, who is also CEO of conglomerate Seprod Limited, a manufacturer and exporter.
The two associations announced their tie-up last week at the opening of the trade expo that they co-host. But Pandohie says the details are still being worked out.
Both associations approved the merger in April. Since then, a 10-member amalgamation committee has been formed, chaired by Simon Roberts. The committee has equal representation from both organisations: Roberts, Howard Mitchell, Brian Pengelley, Pandohie and Imega Breese from the JMA; and Stephen Dawkins, Vitus Evans, Jeffery Messado, Derek Rose and Carole Rowe from the JEA.
Breese, executive director at the JMA, says an inaugural general meeting of the JMEA will be held by mid-to-late May and the board will decide how they treat with the assets of the organisations, both of which are based in Kingston.
Breese says the first JMEA board will be elected, from which the first executive body will be generated.
The JEA, currently led by president Michelle Chong, has offices uptown at Winchester Avenue; while the JMA, whose president is Metry Seaga, operates downtown from 85 Duke Street. Breese said the operations of the JMEA will be housed at Duke Street.
The JMEA started to take shape when the memberships voted in favour of the amalgamation a week apart - on April 10 for JMA and April 18 for the JEA. The latter's membership also approved changes to the JEA constitution that would preserve the rights of the members after the merger.
Staffing will be addressed by the JMEA board once it is properly constituted, Breese said.
"Decisions will have to be made because it is all about how we become more efficient, but you still want to have enough resources to deliver a good service, because the membership is expected to grow," she told the Financial Gleaner.
A merger of the two associations, which have overlapping memberships, has been discussed on and off for two decades, said Pandohie.
"It is amazing that we've been discussing this for 20 years and we're now taking what is just a logical step. In fact, now that we've made the announcement, everybody is saying it's a no-brainer," he said.
"We're duplicating resources and then we're operating as two separate voices. United, we have one voice which will improve our lobbying efforts with the stakeholders, including the banks and the Government," he added.
Regarding fees - which range widely within both organisations from a low of $10,000 to just over $200,000 per year - Breese said the structure will be carefully examined, but changes are coming.
"There are some fee categories that may decrease, while there are some that may increase. One thing is sure - we've all agreed that as regards micro and small companies, we want to continue to facilitate them at a very reasonable fee structure," she said.