MBCCI president Davon Crump said the move has made life easier for entrepreneurs in western Jamaica who formerly had to travel to the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) in Kingston to access their offerings.

Now, all business owners have to do is visit the Jamaica Promotions Corporation's western regional office in Montego Bay in order to, among other things, become formalised and maintain their compliance status.

"For some time now we have been making representation for the establishment of an office of the Companies Office of Jamaica in Montego Bay, as we felt this would enhance trade and commerce through the efficient registration and regulation of businesses in western Jamaica," he told Observer West.

"We are grateful that the Ministry of Investment and Commerce has placed our request as a top priority, as indeed, we consider this step a demonstration of goodwill towards businesses and potential business operators in the region," Crump added.

The initiative, which was recently launched by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Christopher Tufton at the Wexford Court Hotel in Montego Bay, also affords greater access to export transaction services provided by COJ agencies in the trade support network.

Judith Ramlogan, COJ's chief executive officer, a permanent branch of the company, is scheduled to be established in Montego Bay by April 1 next year.

Tufton said his administration was only too happy to do whatever was necessary to foster entrepreneurship in the west.

"We are identifying with Montego Bay in a way which will see more improvements in the efficiencies of transacting business with the agencies of the state that are critical in enhancing the business environment (and) entrepreneurship creativity transaction," the minister said.

"There has to be much greater co-ordination between the facilitators of entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurs (and) that collaboration must be done in a manner that facilitates less cost and time as it relates to a transaction," he added