JSEZA Making Rapid Strides

Established under the Special Economic Zones Act of 2016, the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) could easily be considered a ‘new kid on the block’.

The performance of the Authority and its accomplishments since being established, however, embody the vibrant spirit of Jamaica and showcase that, truly, ‘we are little but tallawah’.

The JSEZA is mandated to regulate and supervise special economic zones (SEZs), provide a policy direction towards the sustainability of Jamaica’s economy, attract new and diverse investments in SEZs and establish efficient investor and business facilitation.

In order to grow the economy and make Jamaica a major player in the global logistics chain, extensive research was undertaken to uncover global best practices that could be implemented in Jamaica. The scope of research done led to Jamaica becoming a member of the more than 400-member World Free Zones Organization (WFZO) in 2018 which snowballed into Jamaica winning a hosting bid just a year later.

“Almost immediately after joining, we were invited to become their regional headquarters as well as a few months after, to host their annual conference. We were just being established at the time, so we weren’t ready to take on the WFZO’s headquarters [but] we are going back for it,” Acting Chief Executive Officer of JSEZA, Gary Scott, tells JIS News.

The Authority represents the WFZO as the national contact for Jamaica and acts as an ‘all-in-one’ officer that will facilitate the organisation’s business in the country.

Shortly after gaining membership to the WFZO, Jamaica and several other countries were invited to present bids to host the WFZO’s Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE). JSEZA evoked the spirit of community in preparation of the best bid Jamaica could put forward by seeking input from stakeholders.

“When we joined with the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Montego Bay Convention Centre it was clear that our strategy was ‘use what is Jamaica the brand’. Even when we, JSEZA, target investors, we pitch Jamaica’s lifestyle because we know that foreign direct investment means more than just the business. It means to ensure that their families are safe, that residential is there and that they can enjoy life in Jamaica. That is the type of pitch that we made,” says Mr. Scott.

He shares that Jamaica’s bid was endorsed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, the then Mayor of the host city Montego Bay, Hon. Homer Davis, and fully supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. JSEZA even secured the endorsement of the sprint legend, Usain Bolt.

After presenting the country’s opportunities through the bid at the 2019 AICE in Barcelona, Spain, Jamaica, a relatively new WFZO member country, edged out India, Egypt and Spain and was selected to host the 2021 AICE.

“It is an occasion that we are all proud of and it is a significant opportunity. The WFZO has representatives in over 130 countries, so just being one of those countries who could land the conference in Jamaica… is a proud moment for us,” Mr. Scott beams.

Though the conference was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, JSEZA and its partners are set to host AICE 2022 from June 13 to 17 in Montego Bay, in the first in-person AICE since the pandemic. The organisers are anticipating about 1,500 participants from 140 countries.

“This is vitally important to the World Free Zones Organization, and Jamaica has had no similar size event since COVID started, so this is equally important to us. So, we have two important entities, the World Free Zones Organization and the Jamaica Special Economic Zones Authority coming together to make sure this conference is a huge success,” adds Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill.

While planning for the international conference, JSEZA has earned several accomplishments locally, where SEZs are concerned. In the first three years of existence, the Authority reported that 119 special economic zones were established across eight parishes, which created 39,190 jobs within the SEZs. These SEZs span nine industries and contributed more than half a billion dollars in investments in Jamaica, and the JSEZA has no intention of stopping soon.

Up to March 31, 2022, the Authority reported a climb in special economic zones to 163, despite losing 16 locations as a fallout of the pandemic. Currently, 29 applications are being processed for zone operations. The existing SEZs now provide 56,863 jobs in various industries.

“The Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority is poised to roll out large-scale SEZs across the island from St. Thomas all the way back to Westmoreland, and now we are presented with an opportunity to showcase those products to the world,” says Mr. Scott.

Some of these include the Caymanas SEZ – a flagship light-industrial cluster; Pandora SEZ – an iconic pharmaceutical cluster; Xanadu SEZ – a creative/film cluster; Olympia SEZ – a sport-focused cluster. The Authority also has multiple private zone projects in the pipeline to be rolled out in the coming years.

Recently, representatives from JSEZA formed part of the Jamaican delegation to Dubai for the World Expo 2020, showcasing from October 2021 to March 2022. JSEZA’s aim was to attract investments, trade and business opportunities for Jamaica from the Middle East and the world.

This was done through value proposition and presenting the plethora of raw material, skilled labour force, logistics, sustainability and market opportunities Jamaica possesses.

“The responses have been very positive in terms of ‘what can Jamaica do for you?’. What we were seeing was one, we want to buy Jamaican products and get them into this market, and two, we see Jamaica as a springboard to access other markets,” JSEZA’s Senior Director for Regulations, Policy, Monitoring and Enforcement, Ainsley Brown, tells JIS News.

Besides a high demand for Jamaican products, the Authority also received expressions of interest from the agro-processing and pharmaceutical industries and also from the areas of research and development.

JSEZA remains committed to growing the Jamaican economy through investments and job creation and implementing Jamaica’s Logistic Hub Initiative, while protecting the environment.