Gov’t Lowers FAST Jamaica Investment Threshold

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced a reduction in the investment threshold for the Facilitated Acceleration of Strategic Transformation (FAST Jamaica) Programme from US$150 million to US$15 million.

“Having reflected carefully on the investment landscape and the scale of private capital we will need to crowd in, we have decided to lower the FAST Jamaica investment threshold… which we had announced in Parliament during my 2026/27 Budget presentation,” he said.

Prime Minister Holness noted that, “this is a deliberate decision, to widen the door of resurgence”.

“At US$15 million, a broader universe of strategic investors… local, regional, Diaspora and international… can qualify for the FAST pathway. Imagine 100 projects at that threshold… that’s

US$1.5 billion of private investment mobilised at speed, creating jobs, building capacity, and driving economic expansion across every region of the island,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the announcement while opening the debate on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Act, 2026, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 14).

The Government is advancing its national growth strategy through the introduction of the FAST Jamaica Initiative, a new framework designed to fast track major investment projects and stimulate economic growth.

Dr. Holness further noted that FAST Jamaica will establish a dedicated pathway to expedite private sector led strategic investment projects.

“NaRRA will not be responsible for their delivery. What NaRRA will provide is the power of expedition… coordinating across agencies, accelerating regulatory approval, and compressing the enabling environment that a strategic investor needs to commit capital and commence execution,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister stated that FAST Jamaica addresses a long-standing problem that has cost the country dearly.

“Too many promising transformational private sector-investments that would create thousands of jobs, generate significant tax revenues, and reshape our economic geography have gone elsewhere. They have gone to countries that are simply more nimble… countries that can say yes to strategic investors in weeks or months, not years,” he said.

The NaRRA Act was originally tabled on March 19 but was subsequently withdrawn and retabled during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.

The legislation will, among other provisions, establish the Authority, which will serve as a single point of national coordination, eliminating the fragmentation and delays that have too often hindered progress.

It will also serve as a centre of technical excellence for project preparation and delivery, ensuring that the quality of national plans aligns with the scale of the country’s ambitions following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The debate on the legislation is scheduled to resume during the next sitting of the House.