US$350 Million Free Zone for Spanish Town

ADVT.

JAMAICA PROMO-TIONS Corporation(JAMPRO) has facili-

tated investment totallingover US$350 million for a freezone to be opened in SpanishTown, St. Catherine, withprovision of some 10,000 jobs.

Speaking at a press briefingon October 27 at the TerraNova Hotel, President ofJAMPRO, Diane Edwards,said the facility is being setup under the JamaicaLogistics Hub Initiative toleverage Jamaica’s connec-tivity to manufacture prod-ucts for regional markets.

She added that the invest-ment will have a tremendousimpact on St. Catherine andthe wider Jamaican economy,noting that her agency willcontinue to work with the

investors to complete thefirst phase of the project,slated for June 2016.

“The Logistics Centre beingbuilt in Spanish Town isexpected to make a significant

contribution to the communityand Jamaica as a whole,” shesaid.

The operation is a jointventure involving GulfrayAmericas and China NationalAutomotive Industry Inter-national Corporation(CNAICO). It will be admin-istered by Masada JamaicaLimited.

Activities at the facility willinclude refining and regen-eration of petroleum products;manufacturing of compositesand insulation material;vehicle assembly; auto partsremanufacturing and distri-bution; manufacturing ofpharmaceuticals and nutra-ceutical products, as well asresearch and manufacturingof tobacco products.

Prime Minister the MostHon. Portia Simpson Millerpresents a farewell gift tooutgoing Ambassador ofthe People’s Republic ofChina to Jamaica, HisExcellency Dong Xiaojun.Mrs. Simpson Miller said thatover the last two years, theAmbassador contributedsignificantly to enhancingthe excellent relationshipbetween China and Jamaica.The Ambassador paid afarewell courtesy visit onthe Prime Minister onOctober 28 at the Office ofthe Prime Minister.

PM Bids Farewell to Outgoing Chinese Ambassador

WORK ON the Cay-manas to Linstead leg ofthe North-South Highwayis more than 80 per centcomplete and is on trackto conclude by Marchnext year. Prime Minister theMost Hon. Portia SimpsonMiller, who toured thatsection of the highway onOctober 28, said she ispleased with the progressof the project. She also pointed outthat the highway projectwill open up that north-south section of the countryto more economic opportu-nities. “I’m sure Jamaicawill benefit greatly as aresult of this project,” shesaid. Mrs. Simpson Milleralso stated she is particu-larly heartened that over1,000 Jamaicans havebeen employed under theproject, and are themajority of workers.

“I have seen some workthat has been done by theJamaicans that I’m sureit’s new skills being passedon to our people by theChinese. I think that is alsovery impressive,” she said. The North-South sectionof Highway 2000 will be66 kilometres long andallow motorists to travel

from Kingston to theresort town of Ocho Riosin less than an hour. The US$600 millionproject is being undertakenthrough a public-privatepartnership (PPP) agree-ment between the JamaicanGovernment and ChinaHarbour Engineering Com-pany (CHEC).

Caymanas to Linstead Highway 80 Per Cent Complete

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller(left) listens as Managing Director, National RoadOperating and Constructing Company, Ivan Anderson,explains the work being done on the North-SouthHighway project. This was during a tour of the high-way on October 28.

President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation, DianeEdwards (2nd left), speaks at a press briefing on October 28,at the Terra Nova Hotel. With (from left): Chairman ofJamaica Logistics Hub Task Force, Dr. Eric Deans; ExecutiveDirector for Masada Jamaica, Dr. Robert Melamede;Director of Gulfray Americas Manufacturing, JacobShnurman; and Executive Director of the CaribbeanMaritime Institute (CMI), Dr. Fritz Pinnock.

THE WORLD Bank’sDoing Business Report2016 has rankedJamaica's economy in thetop ten most improvedeconomies worldwide.Jamaica has alsoimproved its ranking inthe Latin America and theCaribbean region.

This movement isattributed to Jamaica'simplementation of fourmajor reforms over thepast year. These reforms includeease of paying taxes withthe introduction of theonline system - RAiS; theintroduction of Employ-ment Tax Credit; increasingdepreciation rate for indus-trial buildings and makinginsolvency proceedingseasier by establishing aninsolvency office to faci-litate general administration. Jamaica also excelledin the areas of Getting

Credit and in Starting aBusiness, as it now takesan average of three daysand two interactions toincorporate a business. The 2016 DoingBusiness Report alsohighlights Jamaica as oneof two countries in theCaribbean that have madetax compliance easier forbusinesses. In welcoming thereport, Minister of Financeand Planning, Dr. theHon. Peter Phillips, saidthe benefits of adheringto the Economic ReformProgramme are showingresults. He also emphasisedthat "the improved rankingwill facilitate greater inflowsof investment which iscritical to the country’sfuture development."

Jamaica Ranks in Top Ten Most Improved Economies Worldwide

CONTRACTS TOTALLINGUS$8.73 million have beensigned for upgrading andimprovement works at sixwastewater treatment facil-ities in the parishes ofKingston, St. Catherineand Clarendon. Of the total allocation,US$5 million is for thedecommissioning of theAcadia, Bay Farm Villasand Hughenden facilitiesas well as the design andconstruction of three waste-water conveyance systemsand pump stations, whichwill take flows into theSoapberry Treatment Plant. The remaining US$3.73million is for the rehabili-tation of the BlackwoodGardens system and the Dela Vega City wastewaterponds in St. Catherine, aswell as the Lionel TownWastewater TreatmentLagoon in Clarendon. Minister of Water,Land, Environment and

Climate Change, Hon. RobertPickersgill, in his remarksat the signing ceremony atthe National Water Com-mission’s offices, said theprojects will improve theoperational efficiency oftreatment plants, reducecontamination of ground-water, and meet the effluentstandards stipulated by theNWC and the National

Environment and PlanningAgency. The projects are part ofthe continuing effort toensure that the island’swastewater treatment facilitiesare capable of handling thevolume of domestic, agri-cultural and industrialwastewater discharge pro-duced by the rapidly growingpopulation.

Minister of Finance, Dr.the Hon. Peter Phillips

"The improvedranking will

facilitate greaterinflows of

investment whichis critical to thecountry’s futuredevelopment."

US$8.73M for Upgrade of Sewage Plants

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and ClimateChange, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (left), looks on asChairman, National Water Commission, PrakashVaswani, makes comments at a press briefing held onOctober 28.

A SPECIAL unit is to beestablished within theMinistry of Health tomonitor the care for new-borns at public and pri-vate facilities. Portfolio Minister, Hon.Dr. Fenton Ferguson,made the announcementduring a statement in the

House of Representativeson October 27. The move follows thedeath of 19 pretermbabies at the Universityof the Hospital of the WestIndies and Cornwall RegionalHospital, due to infectionscaused by the klebsiellaand serratia bacteria.

The unit’s establishmentis consistent with theUnited Nations’ ‘EveryNewborn Action Plan: ACall to Action 2014’,which is part of theVision 2030 Agenda. Dr. Ferguson advisedthat the six-member unit,to be headed by neonatologist,

Dr. Michelle-Ann Richards,will include: Drs. JacquelineBisasor, Karen Shaw andSimone Spence, with sup-port from the Ministry’sEpidemiologist, Dr. KarenWebster, and Chief NursingOfficer, Marva Lawson-Byfield.

In addition, the Ministryis also improving thereporting functions of theRegional Health Authoritiesin order to ensure theproper governance of thehealth sector.

Special Unit to Monitor Facilities for Newborns

Minister of Health, Hon.Dr. Fenton Ferguson

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