The Forestry Department receives J$128 million from the EU to increase efficiency, sustainability and revenue generating capacity.

Kingston, Jamaica January 30, 2020: Jamaica’s push to become an efficient player in the Green Economy is set to receive a major boost through a €850,000 (J$128 million) European Union-funded technical assistance to the Forestry Department.   

The technical assistance is providing support to develop a suitable business model for the Forestry Department which will assist it in achieving increased levels of operational efficiency, as well as identifying new and emerging business opportunities for the organisation. This will contribute positively to the Agency’s thrust to expand the portfolio of goods and services from which it derives revenue and will provide information to support business-related discussions on Jamaica’s forest sector generally.  

The business model will outline costing models, marketing strategies for traditional and non-traditional goods and services offered by the Forestry Department, as well as the integration of online services, e-commerce processes and application models within the existing operational framework of the Agency. It will also include some of the more readily appreciable income generating opportunities offered by Jamaica’s forests, namely ecotourism, with specific attention being given to the recreational facility managed by the Agency in the Gourie Forest Management Area which has significant potential in the local and global sustainable tourism market. Special attention will also be dedicated to the management of nurseries producing tropical forest species and the implementation of an e-commerce platform to facilitate ease of carrying out business with the Forestry Department.

The assistance falls under the Budget Support for Improved Forest Management for Jamaica (IFMJ) Project between the Delegation of the European Union and the Jamaican Government.

The three-year project kicked off earlier this month at a meeting held at the Forestry Department’s head office in St. Andrew attended by representatives of the European Union Delegation, the Forestry Department and the project consultants. The acting CEO of the Forestry Department Ms. Rainee Oliphant said, “The ultimate aim is to have a business model developed for the Agency that first and foremost meets our needs as the technical repository of information on forests in Jamaica. The model will, once implemented, enhance the operational efficiencies and expand revenue generation opportunities”.  Ms. Oliphant also pointed out that the business model will facilitate the provision of a higher standard of service to Forestry Department internal and external customers through the development of a user-friendly e-commerce platform.

Attaché/Programmes Manager, Delegation of the European Union in Jamaica, Mr. Stefano Cilli, underscored the fact that technical assistance within the framework of the Budget Support programme will offer innovative and diversified products, ecoservices and services to the citizens of Jamaica”.

The Forestry Department is the Agency responsible for the management and conservation of Jamaica’s state-owned forests to enhance social and economic development and contribute to building Jamaica’s climate resilience.