By Lincoln DePradine

Jamaican parliamentarian, Senator Aubyn Hill, and Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, CEO of the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority, say the Caribbean nation expects to benefit from a gathering in Toronto that brought together Canadian and Caribbean representatives from business and government.

At the two-day Caribbean Canadian Investment Summit & Trade Forum (CCISTF), the Jamaican delegation had an opportunity to meet business officials to examine potential investment in housing, Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, told The Caribbean Camera in an exclusive interview.

“We need to build about 70,000 houses in about four years,’’ said Hill, adding that other areas of discussions at the summit were infields such as agriculture and agro-processing.

“The response from prospective investors — some of whom we didn’t know – was very, very solid.’’

The summit “delivered more than we bargained for and we’re very happy to have been at the table’’, said Hamilton, who explained that the special economic zones (SEZs) that she oversees have transitioned from a focus on exporting goods from Jamaica to “a more modern regime’’ of approximately 114 companies operating in diverse fields including logistics, warehousing and agro-processing.

“Our SEZs provide an opportunity for companies operating in the agro-processing sector to build out warehousing and cold storage spaces that will see us being able to hold our produce longer and transport them to different markets, such as the Canadian market,’’ said Hamilton.

The theme of the CCISTF was, “Bridging Markets: Unlocking Opportunities, Building Sustainable Prosperity”.

Its broad design was on examining how the Caribbean Diaspora could play a more direct role in the region’s economic future.

Prior to the summit, CCISTF President Donna Fanfair was adamant that the Caribbean region “does not suffer from a lack of talent or ambition. What it needs is more pathways connecting talent to opportunity – and CCISTF exists to help build those pathways’’.

Part of the weekend event included panel discussions, keynote speeches and several meeting presentations one from Isaylin Cabanas Vera, Cuba’s Economic & Commercial counsellor in Ottawa.

The Caribbean diplomatic corps representatives included Kurt Davis, Jamaica’s consul general in Toronto, and Gerry Hopkin, consul general for Grenada.

Business executives and leaders who engaged in discussions at the summit “are now ready to explore new viable investment and trading opportunities’’, Hopkin said in commenting on the CCISTF.

Leo Ryan Pinder, a former attorney general of the Bahamas and ex-Minister of Financial Services and Trade, said there is no shortage of investment ideas and possibilities targeted at the Caribbean.

“We have to figure out how to take it from investment promotion to investment execution. That’s been really a difficult task over a number of years,’’ he said.

Hill, who delivered the main address on day one of the CCISTF, highlighted the successes of the Jamaica Labour Party government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and referenced Jamaica’s “very long history with Canada, including the presence of Scotiabank that has been doing business in the Caribbean nation for more than 160 years.

Hill said he was satisfied with a series of meetings he held, and also complimented the CCISTF organizers.

“We have Canadian investors, who have a foothold in the Caribbean, and in Jamaica in particular, and they now want to expand. Canada is looking for new markers; we’re looking for new markets and investors.’’

 “Every business person in Jamaica and the Caribbean must be looking to come here to this conference every year. That’s my wish for the organizers. I’m very impressed with how they’ve started.’’

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