Businessuite News24
Importers Who Ordered or Purchased Plastic Materials Before Effective Date of Prohibition Order Not Penalised
Members of the Senate in Jamaica recently approved the Trade (Amendment) Act, 2024, which was piloted by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill.
He explained that insertion of new subsections in Clause Two of the legislation allows the Minister to facilitate importers who ordered or purchased consignments prior to the effective date of the prohibition Order – the Trade Plastics Packaging Materials Amendment Order 2024 – to import these goods without consequences.
“It should be noted that the Trade Plastic Materials Prohibition Amendment Order 2024 also provides that the distribution of plastic food containers should terminate on the 9th day of January 2025. As such, in the exercise of this discretion, the Minister will be guided by this timeline,” Senator Hill said.
The Trade Plastics Packaging Materials Amendment Order 2024 was promulgated on July 11, 2024.
The Minister further informed that Clause Two of the Act provides for the insertion of new Subsections Four, Five and Six.
Senator Hill explained that Subsection Four provides that, where an Order was made providing for an absolute prohibition on the importation of goods pursuant to Subsection 1A, the Minister may, by Order, specify that the consignments be treated in the same manner as goods imported prior to the effective date of such prohibition, if the Minister is satisfied of the matter in Subsection 5.
“Subsection 5 provides that the matter to which the Minister must be satisfied is that the relevant prohibited goods were ordered or purchased prior to the effective date of the prohibition. Subsection 6 provides that no criminal liability shall be imputed in respect of goods that are subject to an Order made under Subsection 4,” he said.
Senator Hill explained that the Bill seeks to amend Section 8 of the Act to provide for such Orders to remove consequences of the prescribed absolute prohibition for imported consignments of goods ordered or purchased prior to the effective date of the prescribed prohibition under Section 8 (1a) of the Act, which arrived in Jamaica on or after the effective date of the prohibition.
He further indicated that in 2018, the Government announced the implementation of a ban on the importation, manufacture and distribution of specific types of single use plastic products with the objective of safeguarding human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of plastics, in accordance with World Trade Organization Agreement obligations.
The Minister informed that on December 24, 2018, the Trade Plastics Packaging Materials Prohibition Order 2018 was published, prohibiting the importation of classes of plastic goods on a phased basis.
Senator Hill added that the Order was subsequently amended in 2022/23/24. He noted that these Orders were initiated by the Portfolio Ministry with responsibility for the environment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.
“In January 2024, the Government of Jamaica announced the implementation of the fourth phase of the ban on single use plastics, which would eliminate from the domestic market single use plastic food containers and replace Styrofoam containers as well as cosmetic care or personal care products for which microbeads or microplastics have been intentionally added,” the Minister said.
“The Government further indicated to the public that consignments ordered prior to the effected date of the prohibition would be allowed to be landed. In keeping with the main objective, the Trade Plastics Packaging Materials Amendment Order 2024 was promulgated on July 11, 2024, which effected an absolute prohibition on the importation of plastic food containers, effective as of that date,” he said.
Senator Hill noted that the prohibition has adversely affected importers who previously ordered or purchased consignments, which arrived or will arrive in Jamaica after the prohibition was in effect.
“The Government recognises the need to facilitate trade within Jamaica while, at the same time, safeguarding human health and the environment from adverse impacts of plastics. To address this issue, it was proposed that Section 8 of the Act be amended to empower the Minister to make Orders having retroactive effect,” he said.
The Trade Act provides for, among other things, the regulation of trade in goods, including the conditions of distribution, purchase and sale, and the importation and exportation, except under licence, of goods of any class or description.
By: Chris Patterson, JIS
Businessuite News24
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Guardsman Metaverse, in collaboration with Jamaican artificial intelligence company Crimsontide AI, is revolutionizing security across Jamaica with cutting-edge, customizable solutions. This partnership brings together Guardsman’s expertise in virtual security and Crimsontide’s advanced AI technology, delivering a suite of intelligent security offerings tailored to meet the unique needs of Jamaican businesses and institutions.
Through this strategic collaboration, Guardsman Metaverse is positioned at the forefront of the country’s security landscape, offering systems that leverage both immersive digital technology and sophisticated artificial intelligence.
The partnership underscores the importance of local innovation in addressing the security challenges faced by Jamaica today, providing clients with tailor-made solutions that ensure effective protection.
Guardsman Metaverse is committed to offering security solutions that go beyond traditional models, emphasizing customization and flexibility to meet the specific requirements of each client. From large commercial operations to smaller enterprises, the platform delivers a personalized approach that ensures maximum efficiency and peace of mind.
This flexibility is what sets Guardsman Metaverse apart—adapting to each environment’s unique security demands and offering a more responsive, intelligent way to safeguard people and assets.
With AI-driven features that allow for real-time monitoring and proactive threat detection, Guardsman Metaverse empowers businesses and institutions to stay ahead of potential security breaches. Each system can be fully customized to fit the environment it protects, delivering advanced functionality across a wide range of settings.
Advanced Features for Comprehensive Protection
- Facial Recognition: Guardsman Metaverse enhances access control through secure, real-time identification of authorized personnel, ensuring that only those with clearance can enter critical areas.
- License Plate Detection: For commercial properties, this feature allows for real-time monitoring of vehicle activity, helping to identify unauthorized or suspicious vehicles and notify security personnel immediately.
- Personnel Counting and Crowd Management: Especially important for businesses, this feature tracks occupancy and manages crowd flow, helping to ensure safety, meet regulatory requirements, and optimize operational efficiency.
- Firearm Detection: Using AI-powered analysis, Guardsman Metaverse detects the presence of firearms, providing instant alerts to security teams to ensure a rapid and effective response to any threat.
- Customizable Behavioural AI: Tailored to each client’s specific needs, Guardsman Metaverse’s behavioural AI can be trained to detect and respond to specific actions or patterns that are unique to the environment it monitors.
- Infrared Drone Surveillance: Equipped with infrared technology, Guardsman Metaverse drones provide round-the-clock aerial surveillance, ideal for large properties, high-security areas, and search-and-rescue missions, offering comprehensive monitoring that goes beyond traditional methods.
These advanced security features are fully customizable, ensuring that businesses receive a solution designed specifically for their needs. Whether it’s safeguarding large commercial complexes, healthcare facilities or educational institutions, Guardsman Metaverse offers tailored protection that provides complete peace of mind.
The partnership with Crimsontide AI, a rapidly emerging Jamaican company specializing in state-of-the-art patent-pending artificial intelligence software, ensures that Guardsman Metaverse’s solutions are not only technologically advanced but also locally relevant.
Crimsontide AI Limited is at the forefront of technological innovation, and its expertise allows the system to be fine-tuned to the specific security challenges that businesses in Jamaica face.
Through this collaboration, a diverse offering of services is available to various customers and industries, including theft detection at banks, supermarkets, and retail stores, intruder detection and breach prevention at hotels and resorts, as well as risk mitigation and compliance solutions.
Crimsontide’s AI technology also enables businesses to recognize trends in data, detect outliers, and summarize data sets, all aimed at informing better business decisions.
This partnership ensures that Jamaicans are at the forefront of solving their own security issues, with solutions designed by Jamaicans, for Jamaicans. At Crimsontide AI, the commitment to rebuilding a safer Jamaica is at the heart of every innovation, working toward a future where local technology empowers local security.
However, beyond responding to security threats as they happen, Guardsman Metaverse is designed to predict and prevent potential issues before they escalate. By leveraging AI to analyse behaviours and patterns, the system can foresee risks, giving clients the ability to take proactive steps. This predictive approach ensures that businesses and homeowners are always ahead of security challenges, helping to mitigate risks before they become serious threats.
With Guardsman Metaverse, clients are empowered to protect their environments not just reactively but pre-emptively. This next-level security capability, combined with fully customizable features, ensures a comprehensive approach that adapts to the ever-evolving nature of security threats in today’s society.
Studies consistently show that most strategic plans fall short.
The reasons are varied, but a common mistake stands out: teams often assume they understand “strategic” planning, only to end up misguided, compromising their organizations’ success. Often, what they call a “strategic plan” lacks real strategic thought.
How Missteps Occur
If you’ve ever reviewed a company’s strategic plan, you’ve likely seen a list of ambitious goals. They may be grouped in catchy ways, but as you read through, doubts surface. Why?
You sense the organization may lack the resources or focus to achieve all these objectives simultaneously. The longer the list, the more you suspect it may be abandoned when daily issues arise, with lofty goals slipping out of view.
Redefining “Strategic”
One way to prevent this common pitfall is to rethink how we use the term “strategic.” Today, the label “strategic” is often used casually to signal importance, so much so that it’s lost its impact, and audiences tune it out.
This isn’t just a communication issue. When teams invest time in a strategic retreat, they expect the final plan to be truly strategic, yet often that’s not the case.
Typical brainstorming sessions encourage a mix of ideas and positive intentions without much structure. The result is often an extensive report of hopeful outcomes, which can look similar to other plans within the industry—ultimately, another reason for failure.
Enter the Strategy Triad
Peter Compo’s book *The Emergent Strategy* introduces a helpful redefinition of “strategic” by proposing a triad approach:
1. Aspiration: A meaningful, challenging goal that requires effort and won’t happen automatically.
2. Bottleneck: The main obstacle preventing the organization from achieving its aspiration(s).
3. Guiding Principle: A decision-making rule to help navigate actions that address the bottleneck.
Consider a store aiming to increase profits. If the biggest bottleneck is low brand recognition, the guiding principle could be to improve brand awareness through multiple channels—online, in-store, and through partnerships.
Applying the Strategy Triad
At a recent strategic planning retreat, a leadership team was challenged to apply the triad. Initially, it was difficult; identifying bottlenecks from new perspectives required collaboration and creativity, especially without cross-functional data, which led them to rely on firsthand experiences. Yet, they successfully defined bottlenecks and guiding principles that empowered employees to align their daily choices with the strategic plan. This alignment is what leaders want but is often rare.
Why Alignment is Rare
Leadership teams often avoid the challenging, healthy conflict required to build a robust strategy triad. They may take the easier path, creating lists of goals rather than diving into critical strategic planning. Alternatively, when discussions become too heated, leaders may intervene prematurely, cutting off debate and limiting essential buy-in.
To achieve meaningful alignment, it’s important to work through differing viewpoints until agreement is reached. Though challenging, this process builds the intellectual and emotional commitment needed for successful execution. By persevering through difficult conversations, leaders can significantly improve their strategic plans’ success and longevity.
Found this topic interesting? You may want to delve into my long-form content in my JumpLeap Strategic Planning Newsletter/Podcast.
Francis Wade
JumpLeap NewsletterPodcast
Framework Consulting
http://blog.fwconsulting.com : http://fwconsulting.com
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