Senior Govt. Officials to Address Jamaican Community in New York

Several senior government officials will address the Jamaican community in the New York metropolitan area on matters related to trade and investment opportunities in Jamaica.
They will speak at a forum entitled, ‘Outlook for the Future: Doing Business in Jamaica’, organised by the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) and the Gleaner Company Limited, at the Hilton Hotel (1335 Sixth Avenue) in midtown Manhattan, on Friday, October 20 beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Led by Dr. Carlton Davis, Cabinet Secretary, who will be the main speaker at the forum, the group will include representatives from the Registrar General’s Department, the National Land Agency (NLA), the Customs and Excise Department, the Passport and Immigration Office and members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), organisers of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
General Manager of the JNBS, Earl Jarrett, told JIS News that the forum was part of his organisation’s thrust to facilitate dialogue between key decision-makers and stakeholders in Jamaica with Jamaicans overseas, and highlights the growing importance of the Jamaican Diaspora in national development.
“We know there are Jamaicans in the Diaspora with a keen interest in their homeland, and with information from the right sources, they can make informed decisions about doing business here,” Mr. Jarrett said.
“We have chosen some of the key government agencies which facilitate business transactions, and we expect our audience to leave our forum with practical suggestions about issues, such as regularising their land titles, birth and death registration procedures and bringing goods into Jamaica,” he added.
The forum is the second being hosted this year, and is part of a series held in Canada and in several locations in the United States and the United Kingdom each year. Presenters to date have included Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning; Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security; Bruce Golding, Opposition Leader and Francis Forbes, former Police Commissioner.