Stakeholders involved in trade could see the time it takes to inspect their traded goods cut from 12-24 hours to six hours with the opening of the Jamaica Import/Export Inspection Centre (JI/EIC), according to Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Karl Samuda.

Speaking at the opening of the JI/EIC offices last Tuesday, Samuda said the one-stop shop will combine the efforts of three government ministries, making the process more efficient, thus cutting back on costs. This combination of efforts, the industry and commerce minister said, should prove to be more affordable to traders, the benefit of which should be passed on to consumers.

The JI/EIC office opened last Tuesday and houses the regulatory agencies responsible for human health and safety, animal health and plant health, which span three ministries: Agriculture and Fisheries; Industry, Investment and Commerce; and Health; as well as the Jamaica Customs Department. The JI/EIC is a new facility established by the Government as part of the Public Sector Modernisation Programme.

This one-stop shop is aimed at reducing processing time, overlaps and gaps in the inspection process of traded goods. The JI/EIC office is located at Berth 11, Port Bustamante.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, speaking at the opening, noted that the JI/EIC will remove the red tape involved in doing business. He pointed out that the integrity of the goods that enter and exit the country must be maintained and bringing together all the processes and intervention points will address that issue. The prime minister stressed that the health of citizens locally and internationally must be protected and the central location of the relevant ministries will ensure this.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Christopher Tufton noted that the facility is critical to the value chain of goods, pointing out that it is not just about what the farmers grow, but what goes through to the consumer.

Rudyard Spencer, minister of health, said the centre opened at a time of heightened surveillance in world health. Pointing out that new food safety standards need to be developed, Spencer said the facility is an important development in strengthening the surveillance of traded goods.

Work together

Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker encouraged all the regulatory agencies to work together to make the one-stop shop a success. He noted that the goal of the centre is aimed at facilitating trade and, as such, the attitude of all involved must be to create an entity where trade can flourish.

The centre will be implemented on a phased basis. At the first phase, inspection will target the areas of health and food safety and a limited range of non-food items. When fully operational, the centre will coordinate import and export inspection for both food and non-food consumer goods. The web-enabled system will allow user interaction, and will link the ministries with the Jamaica Customs Department through the Trade Point system, creating a network of all government agencies involved in trade facilitation (a process that has already commenced).

Full integration with the E-Trade Point System will provide a seamless/paperless process, linking the Jamaica Customs Department with all the regulators who provide permits, licences and inspection of imports and exports.