Caymanas SEZ project to get under way next year

It will be more than four years before the long-anticipated Caymanas Special Economic Zone, CSEZ, is implemented, according to the President of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Professor Gordon Shirley.

The CSEZ, located in proximity to the Port of Kingston, is one of the initiatives of the Jamaica Global Logistics Hub programme, which aims to transform the country into a world-class transshipment hub.

Shirley said the CSEZ will be developed in three phases over 52 months, starting in early 2025. The Port Authority is projected to spend nearly $4.26 billion this fiscal year ending March 2025 on the commencement works, according to disclosures in the latest Jamaica Public Bodies report.

The Port Authority has been mandated by the government to catalyse the development of the CSEZ which has been in the planning stages for more than a decade.

“The vision is for the CSEZ to be developed as a prime location for business and logistics in the Caribbean and beyond. An emphasis will be placed on value-added production. Innovation will be promoted,” Shirley said during a panel discussion on Jamaica’s logistics future during the Shipping Association of Jamaica’s 85th anniversary distinguished lecture.

The Port Authority president said the intention was to develop the CSEZ as safe, secure, sustainable and environmentally friendly. He said the engineering was advanced and that the planning and investigation stage involving topological surveys and geotechnical investigations had been completed.

“Engineering, including subdivision layout, roads, water supply, sewage designs and stormwater layout are all completed. In respect of utilities, the Jamaica Public Service Company has confirmed the ability to supply power and to reroute the high-tension wires which traverse the CSEZ development area. The National Water Commission has confirmed the ability to supply the required portable water and sewage,” Shirley said.

The National Works Agency had committed to designing the exits from the Mandela Highway to the zone and the National Environment & Planning Agency was awaiting the transfer of the land to complete subdivision approval, he added.

Speaking on the timeline for the CSEZ development, Shirley said the implementation programme, inclusive of procurement, would be carried out in three phases, the first of which involves land-filling to raise it by 2.5 metres as a buffer against environmental and climate shocks.

“We will be able to withstand any hurricane or major weather conditions by virtue of the work that will be done. That work will commence very early in 2025 and is expected to take 18 to 24 months,” he said.

The second phase which involves the development of the infrastructure is scheduled to take 36 months, while the third phase involving the construction of mixed-use buildings will take 30 months, Shirley said.

“There will be some overlap so the total implementation time will be 52 months,” he explained.

luke.douglas@gleanerjm.com