Prime Minister Announces Several Economic Initiatives for 2013

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller has announced a number of economic initiatives that are scheduled to come on stream during 2013.

In a national broadcast on Sunday (January 6), the Prime Minister cited the development of the Gordon Cay Container Trans-shipment Hub and the development of the Fort Augusta Container Terminal and logistics centre as two such initiatives.

She informed the nation that Cabinet has also approved the establishment of an enterprise team for the privatization of the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT), which is currently owned by the Port Authority of Jamaica and is one of the region’s leading container transshipment ports.

Concurrent with the development of the port is the construction of the North-South link of Highway 2000, which is being constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company at a cost of US$610 million. Mrs. Simpson Miller noted that this will create a number of jobs with major development projects along the corridor between St. Catherine and St. Ann.

Mrs. Simpson Miller also announced good news for developments in tourism, stating that “there will be an injection of over US$200 million in capital expenditure with projects, including leisure hotels Riu Palace and Fiesta Phase Two, as well as Shanghai and Marriott business hotels.”

The Prime Minister said that for tourism, there will be an increased thrust into the Russian and Latin American markets.

The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has been making headway into these markets and the first nonstop service flight from Moscow to Montego began last week with the Russian airline, Transaero, making its inaugural flight to Jamaica carrying 320 passengers.

Mrs. Simpson Miller asked for unity as the nation builds. “I commit to do everything to make our economy stronger,” she said.