Lands Identified for Construction of Logistics Facilities

The Government has identified strategically located parcels of land for the construction of facilities that will further develop logistics operations in the country.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the lands will facilitate construction for warehousing, manufacturing, assembly and other value-added activities.

Mr. Holness was delivering his 2017/18 Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on March 21.

He said the identified lands include a block immediately adjacent to the trans-shipment terminal; a 40-hectare block of reclaimed land immediately to the west of the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited; and 14 hectares of land immediately adjacent to the terminal, which is currently occupied by old warehouses and operated as a freezone.

He noted that the Government also owns 40 hectares of land in the vicinity of Tinson Pen and will be using the Caymanas Special Economic Zone (CSEZ), which is a greenfield site slated for development, consisting of 570 hectares of land managed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

The Portland Bight Industrial Park, a block of 2,428 hectares of land, has also been earmarked for development of an industrial estate comprised of commercial, light and medium manufacturing operations.

Mr. Holness, meanwhile, highlighted the enactment of the Special Economic Zone legislation in 2016 as a critical component of the initiative to establish Jamaica as a logistics centre.

“This will provide the legislative framework to attract manufacturing companies and technology firms to engage in value-added activities on goods trans-shipped through Jamaica. A Freezone Council has been established to oversee the enactment of the new regulations,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the Customs Act is being revised to make it more supportive of the development of logistics operations linked to the trans-shipment of goods through the island’s seaports and airports.

He also indicated that two sets of studies to support the logistics hub development are currently being funded by the Foundations for Competitiveness and Growth (FCG) Project by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank.