Transformation to Result in More Efficient Service to Private Sector

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is ensuring transformation of the public sector, with a view to making it more efficient in its service to the private sector.

Mr. Holness said this is necessary in order to reduce costs and improve support for the private sector, “so that permits needed are (issued) quickly”.

The Prime Minister was addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the CB Group’s most ambitious project to date – The Nest, the company’s first Hybrid Growth Centre (HGC) in Fellowship, St. Catherine, on August 18.

Mr. Holness said the Government is developing a policy for economic growth, which he believes to be bipartisan.

“When this is done, you will have a significant partner in growth and development in the public sector, and this will be a great catalyst for economic growth and job creation in this country,” he said.

Mr. Holness said the Government will continue to support and create an environment in which risk-takers can manage the risk of investment, and continue to pursue a fiscal policy that is supportive of economic growth and job creation.

The Prime Minister signalled to investors and entrepreneurs that “the time is now to invest (and) to put money in Jamaica”.

Mr. Holness hailed the CB Group for their innovativeness and confidence to invest in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, said the CB Group’s investment of US$120 million ($15 billion) in The Nest demonstrates confidence in the Government.

“They (CB Group) recognise our attitude with respect to development and looking at the big picture,” he said.

For his part, Chief Operating Officer, CB Group, Matthew Lyn, informed that The Nest will be the home of three independent operations, and described the investment as “game-changing and evolutionary”.

The operations will include an area for research and development for livestock, where 2.5 million chickens and 7,500 pigs are grown annually; 500 acres of research and development farm for the new crop division, Imagination Farms, and the new world-class poultry-processing plant that will be constructed over the next 24 months.

The facility will operate like an ecosystem, where outputs from one operation will be used as inputs in another to generate less waste, use less energy and emit less greenhouse gases.

A conceptual agreement with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has been reached by the CB Group to supply energy to The Nest in an innovative, efficient and cost-effective manner that will benefit all JPS customers.

CB’s new processing plant will be the first in the region to utilise ‘air-chill’ cooling, a superior technology that is mandatory in Europe and used by the most advanced processing plants in North America.