Four key areas to tackle in 2025, says St Ann Chamber

The St Ann Chamber of Commerce has identified four key areas that will be its focus for 2025 as it continues its commitment to drive sustainable development and prosperity for the parish.

In responding to queries from The Gleaner about the fortunes of St Ann for 2024 and 2025, Chamber President Dr Ransford Davidson described the past year as “transformative and productive” and expressed optimism for the new year.

“We will remain focused on four key strategies as a part of our comprehensive short- to medium-term plan,” Davidson said.

“These are, one, expand our port capacity to accommodate more cruise ships and drive increased revenues and opportunities for local businesses. Two, enhance our road network to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. Three, revitalise the iconic waterfront in Ocho Rios to create a vibrant public space and rejuvenate our scenic assets. Four, rejuvenate the historic Ocho Rios Market to support local businesses and cultural heritage.

“As we move forward, the St Ann Chamber of Commerce remains steadfast in its mission to drive sustainable development and prosperity for our parish. We are focused on fostering public-private partnerships, advocating for improved infrastructure, and enhancing opportunities for local businesses to thrive.”

Looking back, Davidson said of last year: “ 2024 was a transformative and productive year for our St Ann parish. Through the grace of God we can be proud to reflect on the strides made amid the challenges faced over the past year. We would have experienced continued expansion of our local economy through the expansion of critical sectors such as tourism and the development and introduction of new businesses and housing solutions in our sphere, Mammee Bay for example.”

Davidson said both positives and challenges marked the areas of tourism, business development, and commerce.

Revenue losses

He said tourism experienced significant success last year with visitor arrivals being sustained, boosted by cruise-shipping activities in Ocho Rios and improved marketing efforts by relevant agencies. However, challenges remained.

“Infrastructure limitations, including damage to the Ocho Rios pier, which resulted in significant revenue losses for businesses, traffic congestion in major towns, and the need for upgrades to our tourism products, environmental aesthetics, impacted the visitor experience,” the Chamber president pointed out.

“The Chamber continues to advocate for sustainable solutions to support growth while preserving the natural beauty of our parish. Hence [the Chamber] participated in a major collaborative clean-up exercise for Ocho Rios, which was a welcome and successful initiative.”

In the areas of business development and commerce, Davidson pointed out that St Ann saw a notable increase in entrepreneurship, with several new small business being established in “retail, food and beverage, entertainment, supermarkets, and tools and equipment”.

However, Davidson said access to financing and the high cost of energy continue to pose challenges for many businesses. He said the Chamber remained committed to working with Government and private-sector partners to address these issues and create a more enabling environment for business growth.

There were successful completions to several key investment projects in St Ann during 2024, including the expansion of commercial spaces and residential developments. Davidson noted that these investments created jobs and enhanced the economic fortunes of St Ann.

But the rising cost of living and supply-chain disruptions strained both businesses and consumers.

The Chamber, he affirmed, is continuing its lobbying to identify strategies to stabilise prices and strengthen local supply chains.

Looking forward to 2025, Davidson said the Chamber remained committed to drive sustainable development and prosperity for the parish and identified the above-mentioned areas as critical.

“We are buoyant on the development potential for St Ann for 2025 and the many benefits to be derived for locals,” he asserted.

editorial@gleanerjm.com