PM: Ja is open for business

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has encouraged Jamaicans in the diaspora to invest in the country, noting that the country was open for business.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Washington, DC, last night, the prime minister, in responding to a question, said that anyone in the diaspora who wanted to do business in Jamaica would be welcomed.

He pointed out that the Jamaican economy is on the right trajectory and is stable.

Holness said that the main focus of the Government has been the management of the economy. He said now that the economy is moving in the right direction, the Government can now turn its attention to the development of human capital, infrastructure and climate security.

“The Government wanted to create a business environment where anyone who wants to do business in Jamaica can come and do so,” he said.

On the issue of crime, he said that while murders continue to be a problem, all other major crimes have been declining over the last five years.

“There is no switch that can be pulled to reduce the murder rate but the Government is doing everything to get it under control and we believe that we will achieve this goal,” he said.

Commenting on his visit to meet with representatives of the Biden administration, Holness said that the Government wanted to signal to the United States that it was seeking to strike up a new partnership.

The prime minister held high-level discussions yesterday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as part of his meeting with senior members of the Biden administration.