Craft traders and small businesses key for Ocho Rios comeback – Seiveright

ST ANN, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Delano Seiveright says the Government is applying strong, coordinated, all-hands-on-deck focus to the recovery of Ocho Rios’ tourism and business ecosystem following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, especially for the small operators whose livelihoods depend on the sector.

Seiveright joined Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, on a comprehensive verification tour of the Ocho Rios corridor on Thursday, part of the Government’s wider push to restore order, readiness and business activity across sections of Jamaica. The tour assessed hotel readiness, attraction recovery, craft market conditions and the state of the many micro and small businesses that keep Ocho Rios’ commercial engine running.

“This is a whole-of-Government effort. Tourism recovery and business recovery must move together. Minister Bartlett and I were on the ground to see firsthand what is working, what still needs support, and how we help the people whose daily income depends on Ocho Rios being fully back on stream,”Seiveright said.

He emphasised that Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill, has been leading a major national effort to restore business operations – mobilising MIIC teams across several parishes and coordinating with partners in manufacturing, retail, services, utilities and logistics.

“From hours after the hurricane cleared Jamaica, Minister Hill set the pace – meeting businesses, checking supply chains, working with utility providers, and ensuring that micro and small enterprises have the support required to restart operations,” Seiveright noted.

A key part of Ocho Rios’ recovery is the reopening of the Ocho Rios Cruise Port, which had been closed since February 2024 for major repairs. Seiveright underscored that the port plays a critical role in Jamaica’s cruise tourism and small-business ecosystem, and its reopening provides renewed opportunities for craft traders, transport operators, artisans, restaurants and retailers.

He highlighted the significant impact Hurricane Melissa had on craft vendors, many of whom lost inventory, stalls and weeks of income. Seiveright reaffirmed MIIC’s commitment to working with the tourism ministry, the Urban Development Corporation, local authorities and private-sector partners to ensure these operators can steadily return to full activity.

Seiveright also stressed the importance of stabilising utilities—water, electricity, telecommunications—and ensuring safe transportation links as recovery progresses.

“Utilities and infrastructure are the backbone of commerce. Without them neither tourism nor business can function properly,” he said.

Describing Ocho Rios as Jamaica’s “proof of responsible recovery,” Seiveright said the town demonstrates how coordinated national action can safely and steadily reopen major economic corridors.

“Ocho Rios is where Jamaica shows the world that we are recovering with order, with purpose, and with our small business people at the centre of it,” he said.

Source: Jamaica Observer