The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) is the primary development finance institution supporting private sector development and contributing to broad-based economic growth in Jamaica. Its mission is to provide opportunities to improve the quality of life of Jamaicans; this includes providing development financing, capacity building, facilitating public-private partnership and privatization solutions consistent with the Government’s policy.
The DBJ provides funding and technical assistance to support large projects, making available funding accesible to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) sector, broadly viewed as a major pillar of the country’s economic growth agenda.
The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is one of the premier business support organizations in Jamaica, and the lead agency for developing MSMEs. It is also the lead agency for the rollout of the National SBDC Network.
The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) was established in January 2001. JIPO acquired its status as a statutory body on February 1, 2002, and is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.
As the national Intellectual Property Office, JIPO provides a central focal point for the administration of Intellectual Property (IP) in Jamaica and has the mandate of administering the following intellectual property systems in Jamaica –
Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions
JIPO’s services and activities are geared towards enhancing the capacity of individual creators and innovators, MSME’s, corporations, and institutions to create wealth through the acquisition and maintenance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR’s).
The Scientific Research Council (SRC) provides scientific and technological solutions to support product development, research and advisory services on science-based process and development, and technology transfer. The SRC is also a center for disseminating scientific and technical information and knowledge for transformation and sustainable development.
The Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC) is Jamaica’s “Business Ministry.” The Ministry’s mission is stated as follows, “To create an enabling environment which grows and sustains industries; promotes investment and trade; and ensures consumer protection while fostering gender equality and social inclusion in all our policies, programmes and projects”.
Its mandate is to lead policy development designed to drive economic growth and create jobs while achieving social inclusion and consumer protection. The MIIC is primarily responsible for business policy development, monitoring and evaluation while giving direction and oversight to its implementing departments and agencies.
“The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is an agency of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MOFPS). The PIOJ is the foremost planning agency of the government that seeks to initiate and coordinate the development of policies, plans, and programmes for the sustainable development of Jamaica. The PIOJ was established as a corporate body under the Planning Institute of Jamaica Act in April 1984. Formerly called the National Planning Agency in 1972 and the Central Planning Unit in 1955, the PIOJ was established specifically to strengthen the planning capability of the Government.”
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) was established under the Statistics (Amendment) Act 1984 on April 9, 1984. and is an agency of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.
The main functions of the Institute are:
To collect, compile, analyse, abstract, and publish statistical information relating to the commercial, industrial, social, economic, and general activities and condition of the people; to collaborate with public agencies in the collection, compilation and publication of statistical information including statistical information derived from the activities of such agencies; to take any census in Jamaica; and generally to promote and develop integrated social and economic statistics pertaining to Jamaica and to co-ordinate programmes for the integration of such statistics, in accordance with the provisions of the Statistics Act.