Business View Caribbean - March 2016 23
The mission of the Ministry of Industry, Investment
and Commerce is:
• To increase local and foreign investments
• To be the driver of innovation and job creation
• To promote and protect Jamaican brands, consum-
ers, and businesses
• To create an enabling environment to increases
earnings from export
The following text is taken from a recent conversation
with Minister Anthony Hylton.
Mr. Minister, can you speak a little bit about the busi-
ness climate in Jamaica and why it’s a good place to
do business?
“The global indices indicate that Jamaica is in a ‘sweet
spot’ and has entered a period where we have focused
on improving our business rankings in a variety of ar-
eas: in our ease of doing business; in our competitive-
ness; in our profile for investment; and in logistics per-
formance. Forbes Magazine sums it up best by saying
Jamaica is, at the moment, the best country in the Ca-
ribbean for doing business and for investing. We have
what it takes to attract investment, drive industrial de-
velopment, and enable commerce to take place in a
very efficient and competitive manner. The mix of poli-
cies and programs being pursued by the government,
and the professionalism that increasingly exists within
its institutions, lend themselves to certain validity and
provide a platform for businesses to flourish.”va
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
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Ministry of Industry, Investment, and
Commerce
WHAT:
A ministry of the government of Jamaica
WHERE:
Kingston, Jamaica
WEBSITE
:
