Finance Minister Pushes MSME Registration on Government Procurement Platform

Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Jamaica are being urged to enrol on the Government’s public procurement platform so they can take part in reserved contract opportunities.

Hon. Fayval Williams, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, said registration is the first step for firms seeking to gain from the Public Procurement (Set Aside) Framework.

“They have to register, so that we know who they are in order to get them set up on the procurement system… and that work is on in earnest. We started out in Montego Bay this week, in terms of helping the firms to register. We will be going around the island helping companies to get on to the electronic platform,” Mrs. Williams said.

She told the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 7, that public officials who handle procurement will also receive support to carry out the policy effectively.

“We will also ensure that within each Ministry, we properly bring the procuring officers up to speed… make them become knowledgeable, because we are serious about this. We’re going to ensure that they have the tools… that they have no excuse. They can’t say ‘we don’t know who these companies are’, or ‘they’re not properly identified’, because that will be done for them through the procurement system that we have,” she added.

Rollout of the Public Procurement (Set Asides) Framework, which earmarks a share of state contracts for Jamaican suppliers, is set to move forward in fiscal year 2026/27.

The Public Procurement (Set Asides) Order, 2019 sets out how enterprises are classified. A micro enterprise is one with annual turnover below $15 million. A small enterprise reports turnover from $15 million up to $75 million. A medium enterprise falls between $75 million and $425 million in turnover.