SPOKESPERSON for the UK Diaspora Business, Denis St Bernard has declared that the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Junior Market is arguably not only Jamaica’s most effective investment vehicle for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to spur growth, development, exports and create better employment opportunities, but most importantly provides a key platform to strengthen Jamaica’s key weaknesses in areas of corporate governance, business credibility, legal structures and regulations.

Speaking at the Seventh Regional Conference on Investments & the Capital Markets held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel this week, St Bernard said: “Jamaica is perceived to have a problem with transparency and the JSE helps inordinately in that area. The Diaspora’s business community is expressing great concern with regard to the current proposed tax reform proposals which hints at impacting tax and fiscal incentives currently extended to those listed on the JSE Junior Market. This could adversely affect the growth of the JSE Junior Market and all its success to date. which is transparent. This is all the more worrying coming as it does on the eve of the JSE’s upcoming tour to the UK from 22nd to 29th March to London, Birmingham and Manchester to create awareness and engage the wider UK Diaspora on the prospects offered by the junior market.

“Currently our UK Business Diaspora Network (www.cenuk.net) has a growing membership in excess of 400 SMEs, who have all expressed great interest in the Junior Market.”