With Jamaica set to welcome international investors to the island next week for the hosting of the World Free Zones Organisation’s (WFO) Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE) 2022, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill is hopeful that the event will position the country as a regional, if not global, logistics hub.

Set for the Montego Bay Convention Centre, AICE 2022 will run from Monday, June 13 to Friday, June 17. It will include exhibitions, panel discussions, networking sessions, and workshops.

Of significant note, the highlight of the conference will a presentation dubbed ‘Jamaica: The global logistics gateway interconnecting the Americas to the World’.

Commenting on the event, Senator Hill said the aim of the conference is to communicate that Jamaica is ready to become the next logistics hub.

“We’re nearshore to the largest economy in the world; we’re nearshore to the most powerful country to the world. What the pandemic has taught us is that long supply chains are risky, so we’re saying, ‘Use Jamaica as your logistics centre. Build your pharmaceutical distribution centre here. Build your oil services and supplies centre here. Build your hotels services centre here,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The minister further noted that given Jamaica’s proximity to the US and South America and its location in the Panama Canal channel, the country is an ideal destination for ships to berth. Hill added that being an English-speaking country, having a free-trading currency, a robust legal system and one of the most protected ports in Kingston are also advantageous to the country’s aspirations to become a global logistics hub.

During the conference, Senator Hill and Prime Minister Andrew Holness will lead international investors on a tour of the 1,200-acre Caymanas Special Economic Zone as part of efforts to accelerate plans to kick-start the logistics sector.