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GOING FOR GROWTH FEATURE
| THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015
L
OGISTICS HUB has been
the biggest buzz phrase in
Jamaica for the last three
years with many pointing to it as
the big-ticket item which could
lead to the level of economic
growth that the country needs.
However, still many Jamaicans
are not aware of what is involved
in the logistics hub and what are
the possibilities in terms of job
creation and earnings.
In a nutshell, the logistic hub is
being conceived as a first-world
transportation network,
connecting land, sea and air.
It will include service centres,
technology parks, factories, hotels,
concessionaires, highly skilled
workers and loading and unloading
of massive cargo ships. It is the
footprint to the new business
development network.
It’s a huge private investment
project for any country, and
spearheading the sea development
part of the logistics footprint is the
Port Authority of Jamaica.
According to president and chief
executive officer of the Port
Authority, Professor Gordon Shirley,
Jamaica’s geographical location is
the single most important factor to
the country’s economic
development in the push towards
the development of a logistic hub.
“Hemispheric advantage is what
Jamaica has. It puts us strategically
positioned for trade between Asia,
China, in particular, and North and
South America. We are very close
to the Panama Canal.
“We have two international
airports, we have a natural harbour
in the Kingston Harbour, and we
have a superb transportation and
telecommunications network,” said
Shirley.
He added: “In an increasingly
closely connected world, Jamaica’s
geographical location makes this
English-speaking Caribbean territory
of 10,990 square kilometres (4,243
square miles) and a total coastline
of 1,022 kilometres (634 miles),
the perfect locale for trade between
the Americas, Europe and Asia.
EXPAND SEA TRANSPORTATION
Pointing to the heavy investment
by the Government, in recent
years, in the ground transportation
network, Shirley said travel
between major points in the island
is now reachable in a maximum 90
minutes. With the ground
transportation network in place
and continuously being expanded,
it’s now time for the expansion of
transportation by sea.
He said the country’s
transportation regime was not being
done in a vacuum, and was part of
the business footprint linking roads,
sea and airport to create an
“industrial powerhouse” within a
short distance from points of embark
and disembark.
The Kingston Harbour – the
seventh largest natural harbour
in the world – is key to
transportation by sea and will
play a “key role” in the
development of the hub,
according to the former
University of the West Indies
principal.
Shirley noted that with the
expansion of the Panama Canal,
Jamaica is poised to benefit from
new and innovative commercial
ventures.
“Jamaica’s cheap outgoing freight
rates make the country far more
attractive for large ships to be
unloaded here and loaded again
with outgoing freight. Currently,
we have large ships coming here
but they are going out empty.
But Kingston Harbour in its
current state requires deepening of
the ocean floor, or the large ships
will not be able to use it as they will
be literally on the floor of the
harbour. But, it requires massive
foreign investment to carry out the
work needed,” explained Shirley.
Currently, the harbour is deep
enough to accommodate “some’
large ships, but some dredging is
required to create new or deeper
access or berths for vessels.
“Expansion”, according to
Shirley, is a multibillion-dollar
investment “and the Government
should not be expected to become
an investor, but instead to provide
the environment and climate for
big foreign investments. And that
is what they have been doing.”
President/CEO
of the Port
Authority of
Jamaica,
Gordon
Shirley
FILE
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton
(right), indicates how Jamaica fits into the global link of major
trans-shipment hubs, during his presentation on the
development of Jamaica’s logistics hub, at a meeting at
Jamaica House in 2013.
Yes!
We can be the logistics hub of choice
‘JAMAICA’S CHEAP OUTGOING FREIGHT RATES MAKE THE COUNTRY
FAR MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR LARGE SHIPS TO BE UNLOADED HERE
AND LOADED AGAIN WITH OUTGOING FREIGHT