Labour Minister Charles Secures UNCTAD Support to Develop Improved Labour Productivity Strategy
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Saturday, June 17, 2023
Labour Minister Charles Secures UNCTAD Support to Develop Improved Labour Productivity Strategy
Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr., met with Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Thursday June 15. During the meeting Minister Charles commended and thanked Secretary General Grynspan for the work UNCTAD has done in Jamaica to improve trade facilitation, with specific reference to its assistance with the development of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) system in Jamaica, and the development of the single trade facilitation window through Jampro. The ASYCUDA World System is a web based portal that supports paperless declaration processing through the use of electronic documents.
The two discussed the climate change agenda and its impact on the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean. Minister Charles outlined the importance of improving productivity in Jamaica and the negative impact of climate change on our economy. Secretary General Grynspan spoke about research work currently being done by her organization that is attempting to quantify the impact of climate change on the economies of SIDS. Secretary General Grynspan said “it is a difficult research but we need to show the impact of climate change and the size of the debt of SIDS…. If every year you have to build back from hurricanes made stronger because of the impact of climate change caused by our neighbours of the north…. there is a significant loss in potential income”.
Minister Charles agreed and reiterated that in his previous role as Agriculture Minister, “the impact on our small farmers and Jamaica’s food security was quite evident.” The two went on to discuss areas of mutual interest for UNCTAD and the Ministry of Labour. In that regard Minister Charles expressed a desire for UNCTAD to support Jamaica in the area of labour productivity. The Minister said that, given the future of work, it was critical for Jamaica to identify strategies to reposition its labour force to take full advantage of the opportunities, especially those presented by the digital economy and platform work.
It was agreed that UNCTAD would work with the Ministry to develop policies and strengthen institutions required to expand trade through improved productivity. Minister Charles further expressed that with the rapid changes since COVID there is need to revisit the Jamaica Productivity Centre to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Secretary General Grynspan committed to assisting Jamaica in conducting a productivity assessment strategy to identify gaps or obstacles and ways navigate or overcome them.
Minister of Labour & Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., MP, and UNCTAD Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan smile for the camera, following their discussions on Thursday.
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