What would you like to see happen for your sector?

As Jamaica welcomes the new year, sector leaders on the islands are hoping it will bring with it renewed opportunity for growth. The Gleaner asked, what would you like to see happen for your sector for the new year. Here are the responses:

Omar Azan, president of Jamaica Manufacturers' Association

We are hoping that Jamaicans will buy more local products which will allow more jobs to be created in the country, because the more they buy, the more we will need to produce which will provide more employment. That will in turn create more revenue for Government; it would help in saving foreign exchange because we wouldn't need to import as much products.

Our challenge for next year, though, is that of energy, oil prices are on the increase again and we need, as a country, to find a way to cut back on the use of electricity.

Milton Samuda, president of Jamaica Chamber of Commerce

We will continue to be active advocate for our members, especially in relation to influencing government policies. We hope to create an environment in which business and entrepreneurship can survive, and at the same time, to continue our social interventions especially in relation to challenged youths.

Michael Stewart, past president of Jamaica Teachers' Association

We hope that our teachers will continue to work and to do well in the education system as they continue to invest in our young people in the country. We are concern about the literacy standard now and we would want the Ministry of Education to rethink its position about not keeping on the literacy specialists at this time because we believe that they would have made an impact to improve on the literacy standard of our students.

Dalma James, president of Small Business Association

We will increase our lobby for the Government pay more attention to the plight of small businesses and really act as if they know that the small businesses are the backbone of the economy.