AZAN

Omar Azan, managing director of Boss Furniture, was elected unopposed as president of the Jamaica Manufacturers Association. His deputy president is Brian Pengelley, Red Stripe's logistics operations manager.

The JMA executive also has three new directors - Deborah Lannigan of City Graphics, Simon Roberts of GraceKennedy (Canning) Limited and Christopher Ramsonof Chas E. Ramson Limited.

Four others - Harry Harper, Ian Forbes, Milverton Smith and Paulette Rhoden - have retained their positions on the board.

"The Buy Jamaican campaign has, since inception, been the hall-mark of the Association and so I will continue to work with the membership to spread the message of supporting local industry to the populace," said Azan, who succeeded Doreen Frankson of EdgeChem.

The 'Buy Jamaican, Build Jamaica' campaign enters its second phase this year, with National Commercial Bank (NCB) still on board as sponsor.

Frankson was the first female to head the JMA, serving as its president for four years.

Frankson expressed disappoint-ment in not effecting policy change as much as she hoped, but she has been consistent in her lobby for smaller bank spreads and more affordable capital for manu-facturers to retool.

Financial Ombudsman

"Most recently I have again called on the Government to establish the office of a Financial Ombudsman," she said, referring to her most recent entreaty for an independent body to temper the banks, whose actions, she suggested were sometimes autocratic and non-consultative.

"I might be demitting office," said Frankson, "but you have not heard the last from me on this issue."

Azan and his new executive were elected Wednesday at the JMA's annual general meeting at its secretariat in Kingston.