Renamed chamber of commerce to be a voice for all

That they were able to garner the attentions of some of the most influential figures speaks volume of the ground work being laid and its impact ostensibly spreading beyond its epicenter.

At the conclusion of last night’s stellar proceedings inside the Old Harbour Baptist Church, the Old Harbour Chamber Commerce gave way officially to the South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce in response to a broader mandate in both size and scope.

Staying true to its tagline ‘to remain steadfast and committed in making difference’ President Treacha Reid-McCalla made their intentions clear for what lies ahead.

“The Old Harbour Chamber of Commerce is in the throes of a new dawn, a new era, a new brand and a new kind of purpose. Hence the decision has been made to rename the group, which now will be known as the South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce. Our challenges are not unique as a community. In fact along the southern belt of the parish we have more similarities than differences,” said Reid-McCalla in her message to an audience including Member of Parliament Everald Warmington; Custos of St Catherine Rev. Jeffery McKenzie; President, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Lloyd Distant; Chairman and CEO, Juici Beef Ltd, Jukie Chin and renowned Old Harbour businessman and Justice of the Peace Joseph ‘Tom’ Parker among  host of other prominent figures.

The popular businesswoman, who is founder and chief executive officer of Shades of Elegance Salon and Spa, added: “The South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce’s position is not one of being adversarial. We intend to earn our place at the decision-making table in the halls of power within our space and respectfully request of the powerbrokers sitting here with us this evening to seek our audience as our door will always be open for meaningful dialogue.”

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For almost a decade the business community of Old Harbour have been making a real concerted effort to speak with one voice, initially through efforts of former presidents Mahalia Watson and Adrian Samuda – both of whom were present at last night’s event which saw a full slate of board directors and executive members presented to the gathering.

Warmington, a veteran politician of more than 50 years who has served as the people’s elected representative of south west St Catherine for more than 25, welcomed the emergence of the chamber, while urging them to orchestrate strategic partnerships with other stakeholder groups “to help minimize risks”.

“The ability to partner effectively with government is absolutely essential to the kind of sustainable development we want to see for Old Harbour and indeed the entire parish,” the 68-year-old said, while charging the group to “become a shining example of corporate citizenry”.

It was a call that was not loss on the membership of the emerging business group based here in Old Harbour.

“This chamber aims to become the leading business group for entrepreneurs irrespective of size or status. We envisage of being that voice for all concerned, but will do so with respect to all stakeholders involved in the process, with dignity and humility,” Reid-McCall said.

“To the people operating businesses within our locale this chamber is now your go-to whenever you hit a roadblock, as our aim is to become the first point of reference or medium of resort in helping you along your journey in running a successful business.”

It is the hope of Distant, who heads the national umbrella body for chambers of commerce, that the SSCC will utilise its influence to help businesses within its jurisdiction expedite Jamaica’s transformation toward a digital economy.

Highlighting key findings from a recent business and consumer survey, Distant said it “is the emerging reality that your membership must remain open to new ways of doing businesses, because there are many things that will not revert to old practices.  I think, for instance, of the emerging consensus across many countries that we need to move swiftly towards a digital economy.

“It is our view at the JCC that our businesses and consumers stand to make enormous productivity and efficiency gains by increasing our ability to access services and conduct transactions digitally”.