Business View Caribbean - March 2016 27
much more competitive, and I think that there’s room
for significant growth.”
Jamaica, historically, has been a net importer of
goods and foodstuffs. Does your Ministry help sus-
tain and nurture home-grown production of goods
and products so that the balance of trade can be-
come more equalized?
“While it’s not the principal focus, the mix of activities
has tended to have a direct contribution in that area,
because of the policy thrust that we have now created
as a logistics-centered economy. So yes, as the Minis-
try of Investment, Industry and Commerce, the more
industrialized we become, the more we will be able to
feed ourselves and to export more to the rest of the
world.”
Does the Ministry have any oversight over sustain-
ability and environmental initiatives?
“Not directly, but we contribute in the focus we place
on the kind of investment that we bring into the coun-
try. In the matter of energy, we are keener to bring in
clean energy than we are with, say, coal or some other
high carbon energy source. So, we get to influence that
by the focus and kind of promotional efforts we make
through our investment agency, JAMPRO, which is our
chief promotional agency that promotes Jamaican in-
vestment opportunities, abroad, engaging the private
sector and the business sector in various countries
around the world.”
In closing, what are the most important points you
would like our readers to know about the Ministry of
Industry, Investment, and Commerce?
“It is a Ministry with a broad portfolio, focused on its
drive to make Jamaica a more attractive place to do
business. And we believe that the Ministry is creating
a very dynamic environment for Jamaica as a hopeful
and confident place. And we start with an advantage,
because the Jamaica brand is a known brand. Among
small economies and small countries, Jamaica is ex-
ceptionally well-known.”
