State Minister Says Jamaica Moving from Stabilisation to Rapid Growth Acceleration

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Delano Seiveright, says that Jamaica, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, is turning from stabilisation to rapid acceleration where growth remains the focus.

Speaking at a Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Thought Leadership Breakfast at the S Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on January 28, Mr. Seiveright said that this is possible through a pragmatic path for economic renewal that gives people room to capitalise on opportunities.

“Under our Prime Minister’s (Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness) ASPIRE framework (Access, Security, Prosperity, Integrity, Resilience and Equity), this is already taking shape, despite Hurricane Melissa and other shocks,” Mr. Seiveright noted.

“Our approach to recovery is simple: keep businesses operating, protect jobs, and restore confidence quickly, because confidence is the currency of economic renewal. For us, renewal represents an ongoing, results-driven discipline, rather than a distant aim,” he continued.

Mr. Seiveright said that Jamaica’s hurricane recovery is tied to the country’s credibility to disciplined fiscal management, debt reduction and policy continuity, while signalling a shift from stabilisation to speed.

He outlined a next phase defined by faster approvals, smoother trade facilitation, quicker financing, smarter infrastructure, deeper micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) support and stronger investor confidence.

The State Minister, in the meantime, said that Montego Bay, in St. James, plays a critical role in economic advancement, describing the tourism capital as economically diverse and globally connected.

He said that the city’s mix yields a high-multiplier effect that mirrors Jamaica’s broader, services-led growth strategy.

“With a small population and global ambition, we must rely on services, technology, innovation, and disciplined efficiency,” Mr. Seiveright said, citing Montego Bay as a living blueprint of the plan.

Mr. Seiveright, in noting the continued importance of the business process outsourcing sector (BPO), said that continuity of operations is critical not only for output but for Jamaica’s standing as a global services exporter.

“Every day a BPO facility remains offline is not just lost output, it is lost confidence,” he said, noting ongoing engagement between the Ministry, JAMPRO and operators to ensure power and connectivity and to fast-track facilitation.

On Special Economic Zones, Mr. Seiveright defended a flexible but disciplined approach, arguing that continuity for exporters and manufacturers remains paramount while the country accelerates investment and employment through governance-compliant measures.

Looking ahead, he cautioned against complacency and urged relentless execution, faster approvals, expedited trade and investment processes, and more resilient infrastructure designed to spread opportunity beyond urban centres.

The function was held under the theme ‘Exploring the Way Forward for Accelerating Jamaica’s Economic Renewal, Business Confidence, and Growth Opportunities’.

Source: JIS