The new on-line Trade Board Information System (TBIS), which includes an e-payment facility, has speeded up the processing of import/export licenses and certification.  

“Some 97% of licenses are now being delivered within twenty-four hours,” Trade Administrator Claude Fletcher reports.  “There has been a positive and encouraging response from clients who are now able to source information, make applications and pay their fees on line, from anywhere in the world using our round- the-clock  all-year-round system.” 

One of those positive responses comes from Used Car Dealers Association President and CEO of KACS Auto Sales and Services, Ken Shaw.   He says, “TBIS works superbly. There are still one or two little glitches, but I have watched the evolution of the Trade Board, from the “briefcase” days through the whole implementation of the certification process to now.” 

During the holiday season last December, Mr. Shaw was in Montreal when he received the news that an unexpected car shipment was arriving in Jamaica from Singapore. This was a potential crisis.  His company did not have the required permit and would have been in breach of the customs regulations when the shipment arrived.   TBIS provided the solution and saved the day.  When the documents were faxed to him in Montreal, he was able to apply for the Trade Board permit and pay the fees on- line. 

With TBIS, there is more efficient exchange of information with all trade-related agencies as well as improved access to customer-service information within the Board itself.  As part of the government’s information and communication technology project, the system is linked to the computer systems of all the relevant government ministries and agencies. Through Jamaica Trade Point Portal, clients have access to the services of the Trade Board; JAMPRO; Jamaica Customs; Port Authority and The Shipping Association of Jamaica via a single point.  

Business persons and private individuals have high praise for TBIS as a user-friendly on-line system, providing clear instructions on how to access the various services.  These services include requests for additional funds; amendments to permits-export certification; product analysis and cancellations as well as requests for disposal, pledges or transfer of motor vehicles.  Forms may be downloaded from the website (www.tradeboard.gov.jm) completed and mailed to the Trade Administrator and there are provisions of on-line tracking of applications.     

TBIS is supported by a toll free line and a help desk facility to improve accessibility.  

A pivotal agency in modernizing Jamaican commerce, the Trade Board has come a long way since its incorporation in 1982 when its focus was on the administration of import and export licensing policies.  These days, the mandate is broader.   There is increasing emphasis on the regulation of electronic transactions within the context of a wider interpretation of commerce facilitation.  

Even as the trading landscape continues to change and some imports no longer require permits, the issuing of licenses is still the agency’s core business. 

“The licensing section of the Trade Board is playing a valuable role in facilitating trade,” says Ambassador King.  “It is considered a major accomplishment for a firm to receive the Trade Board’s seal of approval, which indicates that the firm has been assessed by experts and meets the rigorous demands of origin criteria.  The complicated steps in this process require professional, competent staff with a managerial discipline to uphold the integrity of their country.” 

On the general direction of the Board, the Chairman notes: “For Jamaican business people, it is an important gateway to the rest of the increasingly competitive world.” 

Manchester Chamber of Commerce President, Richard Longmore endorses this view.  He says that his organization acknowledges “the role that the Trade Board is playing in assisting the growth of commerce within the region”.  Members are pleased with the efficient use of technology and the improved communications between the Chamber and the Board.  They have found the information given “very effective and beneficial” in helping them to make strategic business decisions.

Portmore Chamber of Commerce President Millicent Lynch also welcomes the direction that the Trade Board is taking, citing a new programme to assist Chambers of Commerce with strengthening their secretariats.    “Many Chambers operate on a purely voluntary basis therefore so these efforts will be helpful,” she said.  “If the Trade Board follows through on its intentions it will reap the rewards.  It is obvious that the Board is looking in a different direction in terms of the objectives and strategies, which can only be of greater assistance to the communities it serves.”