Minister Hill Leads Jamaican Delegation To Examine Best Practices At Colombia’s Leading Free Trade Zone, Zona Franca De Bogotá

_{Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (center), stands in front of DIANs office (Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales), the National Directorate of Taxes and Customs, with members of the Zona Franco de Bogota team and members of the Jamaican delegation in Bogota Colombia on February 25, 2026.}

Bogotá, Colombia; February 26, 2026 – Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Jamaica’s Business Ministry, led a high-level Jamaican delegation on a guided visit to Zona Franca de Bogotá, on February 25, 2026, one of Latin America’s leading industrial and logistics zones, as part of a Technical Exchange on Best Practices in the Design and Operation of Special Economic Zones.

The exchange is facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in cooperation with Araújo Ibarra Consultores Internacionales in Bogotá.

Minister Hill stated that the visit is focused on practical application for Jamaica’s Special Economic Zone framework. “Investors look for speed, security and certainty,” said Minister Hill.

“Zona Franca de Bogotá manages cargo entering and leaving the zone through advanced technological systems that minimize human interaction. The presence of DIAN, Colombia’s customs authority, on-site ensures full accountability and precise tracking of goods. Zona Franca de Bogota objective is to move their clients goods in the shortest possible time and the responses from their clients have been very complimentary and satisfying. The zone is also equipped with 148 security cameras covering 95 per cent of the property, reinforcing a strong security network. This is the kind of system we aim to introduce in our Caymanas Special Economic Zone. For Jamaica, we must strengthen our Special Economic Zones so that Jamaican companies can export faster, operate more efficiently and compete globally. That translates into more formal jobs, greater opportunities for Jamaicans and increased prosperity for the country.”

Zona Franca de Bogotá operates on a secured 395,000 square metre campus, with 19 kilometres of internal roadways and 80,000 square metres of green space. It functions as a special customs territory supported by integrated digital monitoring systems and direct coordination with Colombia’s National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN), enabling faster processing, tighter cargo control and stronger compliance.

The Zone houses more than 400 companies, 85 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2025, it recorded approximately US$10.392 million in Free on Board (FOB) value of operations and supports some 30,000 formal jobs, with strong participation by women and youth.

For Jamaica, the visit offers practical insight into how infrastructure, customs alignment and operator oversight can work together to reduce delays, strengthen investor confidence and expand export-ready businesses within a structured SEZ environment.

The Jamaican delegation includes representatives from the Port Authority of Jamaica, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA), Jamaica Customs Agency, Shipping Association of Jamaica, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), and JAMPRO.

The technical exchange continues in Bogotá with further engagements focused on governance, compliance systems, infrastructure resilience and investor facilitation.