Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority

 

The Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) is the Agency of the Government of Jamaica responsible for facilitating the development of and promoting investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Jamaica. The JSEZA was established in 2016 under the Special Economic Zones Act.

The goals of the Authority are to:

  1. Regulate and supervise SEZs through the administration, issuance of guidelines and directions to developers, occupants and zone users in relation to the SEZ Act
  2. Provide a policy direction for the development and sustainability of Jamaica’s economy through the administration of Special Economic Zones
  3. Attract new and diverse investments in the Special  Economic Zones
  4. Establish efficient investor and business facilitation one-stop service

The operations of JSEZA will seek to:

  • Grow the Jamaican economy through investments and job creation
  • Make Jamaica a major player in the global logistics chain
  • Take a collaborative approach to development through partnerships with the Government, international organizations and the private sector, including training institutions
  • Ensure the protection of the environment
  • Enable persons operating in the Zones to compete effectively
  • Promote research and development in the fields of Zone activities

The transformation of Jamaica into a global logistics powerhouse requires a multi-agency, public, private partnership approach. Integration is at the heart of logistics and Jamaica has a long history in this area. Our ports, road networks and IT infrastructure rank highly on an international scale.

Jamaica’s history in SEZs dates back to 1976 when the first Zone was created with the goal of industrializing the country, as well as increasing foreign exchange and access to technology. With an economic shift in the 1980s, export led industrialization became key to Jamaica’s economic development, and more effort was put into attracting foreign enterprises to the zone. Recognizing the magnitude of the opportunity and with the large-scale job creation that accompanied the transformation, a second SEZ was opened in Montego Bay in 1988. At its peak, the Kingston and Montego Bay Free Zones employed over 36,000 locals.

Today, Jamaica is poised to grow exponentially from the development of SEZs. This is due to the fact that with SEZs an entire ecosystem is created that fosters integration into the global supply chain and provides a platform for new industries to emerge. SEZs also provide scope for the integration of traditional industries into the global value chain. More and more Jamaica is becoming a prominent feature on the radar of multi-national firms seeking to re-engineer their global supply chains. This also provides an opportunity for our large MSMEs who can also benefit from the backward and forward linkages that can be created within the local economy.  

 

List of Special Economic Zone Entity

Name of Entity Type of SEZ  Town and Parish
1 Cathexis 1 (Kingston) SEZ Developer Kingston St Andrew
2 Cathexis Limited SEZ Developer Montego Bay St. James
3 Happy Sandy Bay/Collective Solutions SEZ Developer  Lucea Hanover
4 Collective Solutions SEZ Occupant  Lucea Hanover
5 Mercury Wireless/Bioprist SEZ Developer Montego Bay St. James
6 Fusion BPO SEZ  Single Entity Kingston St Andrew
7 Itel BPO SEZ  Single Entity Kingston St Andrew
8 Jamaica Red Moon SEZ  Single Entity Kingston Kingston
9 Montego Bay Free Zone Co. LTD SEZ  Developer Montego Bay St. James
10 Kingston Free Zone Promoter Kingston Kingston

 

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