1 month ago
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An expanded system for assessing the quality craft items being produced for export is currently being developed by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, and if successful could result in millions of dollars in foreign exchange for players in the craft sector.
The National Supplier Rating System for Authentic Jamaican Craft, which will be used to rank the producers, and to categorise and determine the products to be supplied on the local and international market, is expected to be rolled out in the next financial year.
“Ultimately we are trying to build capacity in the craft sector, so that our craft players can be more competitive and are able to participate more effectively in the global market,” Lliana Blake, director of industry at the Ministry of Industry Investment and Commerce told the Financial Gleaner in a recent interview.
To this end the ministry hosted a Craft Product Assessors Workshop last month to sensitise representatives of a number of government agencies and craft producers involved.
The aim of the workshop was to help government regulators to assess the work of craft artisans, so that interventions can be developed based on the rankings according to assessment tools.
“Present at the workshop were government agencies directly involved in craft development in different ways, and a few members of the private sector, for them to be exposed to the rating system. This was an introductory workshop to let people know that this rating tool exists. We will do some refinements based on the feedback, and we plan to have further workshops, to deepen the insight and understanding of how to use the rating tool. It will help the companies involved as well to assess themselves as to what aspects of their business operations that they need to develop and grow,” Blake said.
Consultant on the National Craft Policy Lisa Callender said the last census done by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica 2013 showed that there were nearly 10,000 people employed in formal establishments of craft-related trades and production.
“We envision that a good amount of the sector is in the informal area. If you think about all the persons who are making burglar bar grills, all the carpenters, applications in architecture, the sculptors, artists, designers, dressmakers, all the persons in the craft markets - they comprise the craft industry. So, it’s very expansive,” Callender said.
The consultant said the rating tool will provide an objective framework to assess the performance characteristics of the product.
“It’s not an assessment of their artistic merit, but a technical review of the performance characteristics through the eyes of a potential buyer, whether that value is in a gift shop here, or the international market,” Callender explained.
“Points are accorded to various aspects of a product. For example, the overall design and aesthetics, the construction, functionality, packaging and labelling, how exportable the product would be, and whether there is any cultural connection to Jamaica.”
The consultant said a survey of the craft sector done in September showed that 90 per cent of the respondents are in micro enterprises, while 57 per cent of them typically use a mix of local and imported raw materials.
“What was very interesting in that survey is that more than a fifth of the persons are totally dependent on craft sales. So, the craft sector is very important, not only from an economic perspective, but the perspective of preserving livelihoods, she said.
While it is difficult to quantify the monetary size of the sector, the Ministry of Industry said some US$94 million was used in the importation of craft and design goods last year. The importation of craft and design materials has been used as a proxy for the output of craft items made in Jamaica.
Meanwhile it seems there is a need to educate craft producers about the new product rating system.
“We haven’t done any training from the year started,” said president of Kingston Craft Market Lenya Cunningham. She said it was difficult to say what specifically customers wanted to purchase, as the requests varied greatly.
Cunningham said however that in the past, the Tourism Product Development Company had provided training to the craft producers in several areas such as soft skills, customer service, hygiene, screen printing, soap making and Spanish language.
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