Market Me responds to controversy over Jamaica Moves

MarketMeConsulting Limited has responded to reports over controversy in the past weeks about its contract with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to execute the Jamaica Moves behaviour change programme.

Below is the full statement issued today by the company via its landing page marketmeja.com. 

Market Me Sets the Record Straight

July 26, 2020

MarketMeConsulting Limited ("Market Me") wishes to respond to various unwarranted public statements in recent weeks regarding the Jamaica Moves initiative. 

Market Me conceptualized and pursued Jamaica Moves as an initiative to counter obesity and other lifestyle illnesses in Jamaica. 

After conceptualization, we approached several players in the private sector and public sector for funding, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness ("Ministry") to implement the initiative. 

The financial support raised over the period 2016-2020, through our own efforts, from corporate and private-sector sources to fund Jamaica Moves is in excess of $75 million, which is more than the Ministry's aggregate approved contract values of $54,832,520. Further, much of the expenses of the Jamaica Moves initiative were paid by funding from private sector directly to suppliers, and not through Market Me. 

We are satisfied that all requirements of the law, including public procurement laws, regulations and procedures have been fully complied with in respect of these efforts. 

Our contract with the Ministry regarding Jamaica Moves has expired. We anticipate that our negotiations regarding a renewal of the contract will treat with all matters outstanding, including, but not limited to, ownership of and rights to intellectual property. 

We remain proud of Jamaica Moves, and its impact on reducing the incidence of lifestyle diseases in Jamaica. The programme's success has been independently recognized locally by the Gleaner Company Honour Awards for Health and Wellness, and internationally by the World Health Organization. 

In addition, we conceptualized a Caribbean Moves initiative to expand the successful Jamaica programme to the wider region, which is similarly challenged by obesity and other lifestyle illnesses, and launched it in September 2018 at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases. Caribbean Moves had been endorsed by CARICOM, and national programmes have also been launched in Barbados and St Kitts and Nevis. These activities were not funded by the Government of Jamaica. 

We can confirm that none of our directors, officers or shareholders is a public official. Like many private sector leaders, our executives have served on public boards in the past. At no time did any such appointment result in a conflict of interest regarding Jamaica Moves or any other project. 

Additionally, our company, which was founded in 2013, has a client base of well over 100 entities and individuals across various sectors, including food and beverage services, finance, insurance, manufacturing and distribution, as well as local and international media houses. Also, we have since 2014 done high-quality value for money work across two political administrations, providing communications support for various public sector projects. 

We have and will continue to provide information to all relevant authorities seeking to clarify this matter. 

Market Me fully intends to use all available legal remedies to protect vigorously our work and reputation when they are unfairly and baselessly targeted and against ad hominem attacks. 

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