Finance Minister Audley Shaw has encouraged tertiary students sourcing financing for entrepreneurial pursuits to seek assistance through the Junior Stock Exchange.

He says the support that can be provided through this channel is indicative of the Government’s seriousness about creating and facilitating a culture of entrepreneurship, risk taking, job creation and economic growth.

Minister Shaw made the announcement in a speech hailing the success of the JSE Junior Market at the University of Technology last week.

He says since its inception in 2009, the Junior Market has, to date, generated over $4.3 billion from trading involving the stocks of the companies listed.

Additionally, he said the Index grew from 100 points at the outset, to 1,791 points at the end of December 2015.

The minister says to this end, students must consider the junior market as an investment environment through which they can source financing as entrepreneurs.

Minister Shaw says with the students’ “entrepreneurial propensity” and the inputs of other stakeholders, coupled with a Government that is “investor-friendly”, together “we can move from poverty and marginal growth to wealth creation and prosperity.”
The Junior Stock Exchange was established through a partnership involving the Government, Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Board, Financial Services Commission (FSC) and a special Steering Committee, to encourage, promote and facilitate investments in entrepreneurship, employment and economic development.

The facility allows investors to put capital into legitimate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which trade shares on the JSE platform.