86 August 2016 - Business View Caribbean
its institutions, lend themselves to certain validity and
provide a platform for businesses to flourish.”
Awhile ago, we spoke to the Minister of Finance and
Planning who talked about how that Ministry helped
move the country away from high debt and high un-
employment. What is your interaction with the Min-
istry of Finance and Planning and do you agree that
the programs that the government has put in place
have been successful?
“Absolutely. The relationship is a symbiotic one – a
joint approach of working very closely. The Ministry
of Finance sets the macro-policies and the macro-
framework. My Ministry looks at the real economy and
ensures that business gets done. So, it’s really sort
of a hand-in-glove approach, taking the cue from the
macro-policies and strategies and ensuring that this
Ministry and its several agencies interpret that policy
thrust correctly and put in place the strategies, pro-
grams, and plans to create the conditions for success-
ful businesses.”
A major initiative in your Ministry, and the country as
a whole, has been its desire and intention to become
the world’s fourth logistics hub. Can you speak about
the progress that’s being made in that regard?
“Progress certainly has been made from the conceptu-
al framework that recognizes Jamaica’s geo-strategic
location in the Caribbean vis-à-vis the expanded Pan-
ama Canal, and the larger markets in this hemisphere
- the United States, Canada, and Central and South
America – and the trade route back to Europe. Jamai-
ca enjoys a very strategic position in global trade. But
we recognize that the geo-strategic location, by itself,
is not sufficient. We have to put in place the critical
infrastructure around the maritime and aviation op-
portunities. This, we are doing.
“We have gone into a concession arrangement with the
third largest shipping entity in the world – CMA CGM
– utilizing the port of Kingston, which is the seventh
largest natural harbor in the world and the region’s
largest transshipment port, as a major hub for its op-
eration. Through that, we will be expanding the port,
modernizing its capabilities, and deepening its draft
to accommodate the largest ships coming through the
Panama Canal, and generally helping to create a bet-
ter environment for maritime services and activities.
Similarly, we are pursuing the divestment of the air-
port through concession management to look at how
we are going to expand its offerings, particularly as it
relates to cargo traffic, and to link those two special
economic zones to provide an industrial platform for
global multi-nationals to operate their manufacturing
and logistics operations here in Jamaica.
“So, a lot is happening. And we are focused, as well,
on our internal logistics, meaning our network of high-
ways and railways to link into these special economic
