Hylton blasts gov't for Christmas congestion at Port of Kingston

Opposition spokesperson on trade and global logistics Anthony Hylton, says the annual Christmas congestion at the Port of Kingston is due to the government's "inaction, ineptitude, and lack of vision" in capitalising on the port's potential. 

Describing the port as a "global and local asset," Hylton has argued that there is need for urgent action to address long-standing issues.

"Until the cargo imbalance that characterises Jamaica's trade situation is addressed, the annual congestion at the Port of Kingston will remain a source of frustration and risk to local importers, including manufacturers and distributors," Hylton said in a statement issued on Sunday. 

He argued that while global shipping uncertainties contribute to the congestion, Jamaica's failure to develop logistics infrastructure around the Port of Kingston has been the key barrier.

According to him, the shortfall undermines the port's resilience and flexibility, preventing it from becoming a major logistics hub. "We must act urgently to take the Port to the next level," he said. 

Last week, Port Authority of Jamaica said current congestion at the port resulted from a drastic increase of cargo volumes as well as disruptions in mainliner service schedules.

That statement followed a complaint from businessman Richard Pandohie, the head of one of the country's largest distribution and manufacturing companies.

"Supply Chain challenges are as bad now as it was in COVID…many ships anchored in harbour waiting to offload, not to mention how many bypassing Jamaica because of congestion," Pandohie said in a post on social media site X on Wednesday. 

Hylton also criticised the government's over its handling of the logistics hub initiative and the Caymanas Special Economic Zone. "This failure is compounded by the lack of new, significant investments," he added.

He said the challenges are a key constraint on Jamaica's economic growth, particularly affecting Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Industry Minister Aubyn Hill last week dismissed Hylton's criticisms about Government's purported inaction in advancing Jamaica's interest in developing a global logistics hub. 

Hill pointed to a recent announcement by Professor Gordon Shirley, chairman of the PAJ, that the Government of Jamaica is about to start the de-risking build-out of the Caymanas Special Economic Zone.

Hylton is a former industry minister and was in charge of logistics under the previous People's National Party (PNP) administration. He faced criticisms over a botched multi-billion dollar logistics hub proposal. 

Last month, he said a future PNP administration will update and implement the World Bank-funded logistics hub master plan for Jamaica "within the first 100 days" of taking office. 

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