Holness administration looking to assert Jamaica’s influence in CARICOM

The Holness administration is looking to assert Jamaica’s role in the Caribbean Community and Single Market (CARICOM).

Prime Minister Holness will appoint a commission to review Jamaica’s role in CARICOM, with the hope of strengthening its participation.

“A weak Jamaica does not make a strong CARICOM”, Holness said, adding that the time has come for Jamaica to play a more active role and thereby strengthen the economic and political association.

“We are in a common market and our entrepreneurs need to consider the Trinidad & Tobago market; Barbados market; the Guyana market as our market. And we are going to stay in the common market because it is our own,” Holness said.

According to Holness, CARICOM is not just a market for manufacturing, it is also a labor market “and this government is going to ensure that we take advantage of this common market”.

He highlighted higher energy cost as a significant hindrance for Jamaican companies to compete with their counterparts in the common market.

Notwithstanding this, he said, Jamaica should be more competitive by having better quality products in both taste and packaging.