Diaspora Conference to Stimulate Increased Trade and Commerce

Members in the diaspora and Jamaican businesses can expect to benefit from increased opportunities for trade and commerce at this year’s 10th Biennial Diaspora Conference, to be held from June 16 to 19.

The staging of the conference will offer participants the opportunity to connect in person at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, told JIS News that the conference is expected to attract and facilitate investors in key sectors.

“We’ve been speaking about agriculture in Jamaica, and this sector is literally on a high that we have not seen over the last 30 to 40 years. It’s a great time to invest, so we will have agrobusiness as one of the key sectors for investment,” he said.

“There is currently a great demand for orchard crops across the world, including breadfruit, mango and ackee. So again, great investment opportunities for members of the diaspora,” the State Minister added.

Mr. Terrelonge, who was speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, said other focus areas will include real estate and e-commerce.

“A big focus of this conference is recognising that it is not a talk shop; it is literally an investment business forum where you come and you are expected to make the connections. This conference is about how you can now invest in your homeland, so that you can benefit from the growth that we are seeing,” he said.

This year’s conference will be held under the theme ‘United for Jamaica’s Transformation: Fostering Peace, Productivity and Youth Empowerment’.

The conference will host persons visiting from Africa, the United Kingdom, the wider Caribbean, North America, Canada, the Middle East, and Asia.