Carib Scope

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  • Grenada tourism push draws Bajan interest

    Grenada tourism push draws Bajan interest

    A new regional tourism push by Grenada is drawing enthusiastic early feedback from Barbadian travelers, with data already pointing to rising cross-island visitor numbers following a slate of targeted promotional events hosted in the Barbadian capital Bridgetown, a senior Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) marketing representative has confirmed.

    Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a business trade exposition hosted at Bridgetown’s popular PureOceans Restaurant, Kwame Hamilton, a marketing assistant with the GTA, outlined that the event brought together local Grenadian tourism stakeholders and Barbadian attendees, who got a first-hand look at the destination’s unique offerings—including opportunities to sample Grenada’s world-famous spice exports and local culinary creations. Hundreds of Barbadian citizens stopped by the exposition’s booths to connect with tourism partners and learn more about vacation, adventure and cultural experiences available on the island, Hamilton added.

    “We created this space to let Barbadians meet directly with our team and local operators, so they can get detailed, up-to-date information about everything Grenada has to offer,” Hamilton said during the event, which was documented by photographer Shamar Blunt.

    The multi-day promotional campaign will extend to a public pop-up activation at Bridgetown’s Worthing Square on Friday, opening the initiative up to even more Barbadians who want to explore what the “Isle of Spice” has to offer. According to Hamilton, the pop-up will serve as another accessible hub for consumers to collect travel information, ask questions, and connect with tourism experts.

    At its core, the campaign is designed to boost public awareness of Grenada’s diverse tourism assets among Barbadian travel agents, prospective visitors, and the general public. Beyond its global reputation as the “Isle of Spice,” Hamilton highlighted that Grenada boasts unspoiled natural landscapes, rich colonial and cultural history, and a wide range of unique leisure experiences that appeal to regional Caribbean travelers.

    Organizers hope that after engaging with the promotional events, Barbadians will leave with a deeper appreciation for all that Grenada has to offer as a travel destination, and will consider it for their next regional getaway.

    Hamilton noted that this type of targeted regional marketing has a proven track record of success. Past similar promotional campaigns have already translated to measurable growth in cross-border travel between the two Caribbean nations, with visitor numbers from Barbados to Grenada posting consistent upward movement in recent years. “After our previous promotions, we saw a clear uptick in traffic between Grenada and Barbados, and our market numbers have been trending up ever since,” Hamilton added.

  • Gold miners being asked to build large high-tech Guyanese mining company-Ali

    Gold miners being asked to build large high-tech Guyanese mining company-Ali

    On June 19, 2026, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali used the official commissioning ceremony for Citizens Bank Guyana’s newly renovated Bartica branch to announce a landmark national economic initiative: the formation of the country’s first large-scale domestic gold mining consortium, uniting large, medium, and small local miners under a single Guyanese-owned entity.

    Speaking to attendees at the Bartica event, President Ali emphasized that the consortium marks a strategic shift toward local control of Guyana’s critical gold sector. Rather than ceding large-scale mining opportunities to international operators, the government is supporting the unified group to acquire cutting-edge mining technology, complete required technical planning, and build a globally competitive gold company fully owned and operated by Guyanese citizens. The President added that the initiative will also expand access to financial services across the mining sector, driving deeper financial inclusion for small-scale operators who have historically been sidelined by unequal industry dynamics. He also voiced frustration over reports that larger, established mining operators have been exploiting small-scale local miners, a problem the consortium is designed to address.

    The ceremony also brought announcements of expanded collaboration between the Guyanese government and Citizens Bank, one of the country’s leading financial institutions. President Ali confirmed that the bank has agreed to open a dedicated service desk at the government’s regional service center in Kamarang, to better serve residents of the Upper and Middle Mazaruni region. In turn, the government is in active negotiations to place a development bank service desk and an Electronic Identification Card processing desk at the newly commissioned Bartica branch, bringing critical public services closer to regional residents.

    President Ali also provided an update on the proposed Guyanese Diaspora Bond, a financial instrument designed to give Guyanese living overseas the chance to invest in key domestic development projects including fertiliser production facilities, gas bottling plants, agricultural expansion, and national infrastructure upgrades. During a previous address on May 26, 2026, President Ali had stated the bond would launch within seven days, but no new launch timeline was shared during Friday’s event.

    Eton Chester, Managing Director of Citizens Bank Guyana, used the commissioning to outline the branch’s longstanding role driving regional economic growth. First established 26 years ago in a small, cramped facility, the branch has now relocated to a purpose-built ultra-modern facility that opened to the public in April 2026. Over its 26 years of operation, the Bartica branch has disbursed more than GY$5.5 billion in loans to local individuals and businesses, financing home purchases, small business expansion, transportation fleets, mining and industrial equipment, and other productive investments across Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Nearly GY$1.8 billion of that total lending has been issued in just the past five years alone, a trend Chester says reflects the accelerating pace of economic activity across the resource-rich region. Today, the expanded branch serves 7,000 total customers and has grown its local staff complement from 9 to 17 employees to meet rising demand for financial services.

  • Wijnerman: CBvS betwist uitgangspunten onderzoek naar OMO-kosten

    Wijnerman: CBvS betwist uitgangspunten onderzoek naar OMO-kosten

    During parliamentary budget discussions held on June 19, Suriname’s Minister of Finance and Planning Adelien Wijnerman responded to pointed questions from members of the National Assembly about the monetary policy framework implemented by the Central Bank of Suriname (CBvS), centering on growing scrutiny over the costs of the bank’s flagship Open Market Operations (OMO) and associated interest expenditures. Lawmakers Jerrel Pawiroredjo from the National Party of Suriname (NPS) and Jennifer Vreedzaam from the National Democratic Party (NDP) raised concerns referencing a critical investigative report commissioned by former president Chan Santokhi, which has put the high costs of the policy under the political spotlight. Minister Wijnerman confirmed that the CBvS disputes the core assumptions underpinning the investigative report, and announced she will hold formal consultations with the CBvS leadership to resolve the disagreement over the findings.

    Pawiroredjo argued that the investigation’s findings reveal the Surinamese state has already accumulated billions of Surinamese dollars in interest payments tied to the OMO program. He pressed the government to clarify the fiscal responsibility of these large outlays, asking who will ultimately bear the financial burden, as well as what long-term risks the spending poses to public finances and the broader national economy. For her part, Vreedzaam also raised reservations about the current monetary policy approach, calling on the administration to provide full transparency on the foundational parameters of the OMO cost investigation and how the researchers arrived at the cited spending figures.

    Minister Wijnerman emphasized that while she has not publicly disputed the individual spending figures named in the report, the CBvS has confirmed that the analysis is built on incorrect foundational assumptions that skew the final calculations. She pushed back against criticism by outlining the core purpose of the current monetary policy: the ongoing consolidation of macroeconomic stability after years of volatility in Suriname. Wijnerman explained that OMOs have functioned as the CBvS’s primary policy tool to drain excess Surinamese dollar (SRD) liquidity from the domestic banking system. Through term deposit auctions and the issuance of central bank certificates, the central bank has actively pulled excess liquidity out of the market to curb rampant inflation and maintain exchange rate stability. She added that the CBvS has also maintained a 44% cash reserve requirement to reinforce these efforts, and has deployed foreign exchange auctions when necessary to limit extreme volatility in the country’s currency markets.

    Data presented by the minister shows that 12-month inflation in Suriname has declined from 11.4% at the end of 2025 to 10.8% in March 2026, with a slight uptick to 10.9% recorded in April 2026. Wijnerman stressed that price trajectories are not shaped solely by monetary policy: government spending levels, private and public liquidity creation, and global developments—including rising energy prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions—all play major roles in shaping domestic inflation outcomes.

    On exchange rate performance, the minister noted that the SRD has maintained relative stability in recent months, a result she attributes to a combination of prudent monetary and fiscal policy alongside higher export revenues, driven largely by elevated global gold prices, one of Suriname’s top export commodities. That said, Wijnerman issued a clear warning that the hard-won macroeconomic stability achieved so far remains fragile. She noted that factors including the trajectory of public finances, global commodity price swings, and geopolitical disruptions will continue to shape policy priorities in the coming months. As a result, OMOs will remain a core policy tool for the foreseeable future to manage liquidity growth and preserve hard-won price stability.

  • Grenada targets regional travellers with expanded tourism offering

    Grenada targets regional travellers with expanded tourism offering

    The Caribbean tri-island nation of Grenada is embarking on a strategic repositioning of its tourism sector, shifting away from overreliance on its classic sun-and-coast appeal to draw more regional travelers with a broad, curated lineup of cultural, adventure, culinary, wellness and event offerings. Tourism officials laid out this new growth strategy this week during a media and travel industry dinner held at Divi Southwinds Hotel, where leaders highlighted the one-of-a-kind experiences that set the three-island destination apart from other Caribbean getaways.

    Samantha Thomas, Marketing Executive at the Grenada Tourism Authority, told attendees that the country’s deep roots in history and culture form the foundation of its unique appeal, alongside its well-earned title as the “wreck dive capital of the Caribbean.” Comprising the main island of Grenada, plus the smaller neighboring islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, the destination delivers what Thomas calls “a vacation within a vacation” — a layered experience that caters to every type of traveler, from thrill-seeking divers to slow-paced wellness seekers.

    Thomas put particular emphasis on Grenada’s fast-growing reputation as a top culinary tourism destination, noting the country is home to seven operational chocolate factories that offer immersive, farm-to-bar experiences for visitors, alongside a wide range of food-focused activities that highlight its native spices and local culinary traditions. She also showcased the country’s robust eco-tourism portfolio, which includes scenic rainforest nature trails, holistic wellness retreats, and one-of-a-kind marine attractions. Most notable among these is the world’s first ever underwater sculpture park, a bucket-list attraction that many travelers previously associated with far-flung destinations like Bali.

    “You don’t have to fly 19 hours to Bali to check that iconic experience off your list,” Thomas explained. “Our underwater sculpture park is just a short trip for regional travelers — literally half an hour by boat from the main island, and a much shorter flight from most Caribbean neighboring countries. It’s exactly the kind of unique, must-see experience that draws visitors from across the region.”

    Beyond signature attractions, Thomas also outlined the destination’s rapidly expanding events calendar, which now extends far beyond Grenada’s world-famous annual Spice Mas carnival. This year marked the first ever staging of Carriacou’s Lobster and Lambi Festival, and the country already hosts a popular annual Dive and Conservation Festival that combines recreational diving with marine conservation outreach. Later in 2024, the country will launch its inaugural Grenada Flower Festival, a new event inspired by the nation’s unprecedented success at the UK’s iconic Chelsea Flower Show, where Grenadian horticulturalists have claimed 19 gold medals over the years.

    “We’ve decided to turn that award-winning floral legacy into a full public festival that visitors can enjoy,” Thomas said, adding that the new event will be especially appealing to travelers interested in floral design, destination weddings, and group getaways like girls’ trips. She also highlighted the Grenada Diaspora Homecoming event, an initiative modeled after Barbados’ successful We Gatherin’ program that aims to reconnect Grenadians living overseas with their home country and encourage them to visit with friends and family.

    Charmaine Gibbs, a representative of local tourism group Insights Grenada, urged visitors to the main island to make time to travel to Carriacou, the smaller “sister island” that remains largely untouched by mass tourism and offers a quiet, authentic Caribbean experience. “No visit to Grenada is truly complete without experiencing the natural beauty and warm hospitality of Carriacou,” Gibbs said.

    Gibbs also emphasized that regional cooperation in tourism has grown more critical than ever in the post-pandemic travel landscape, arguing that Caribbean residents should take advantage of the world-class, unique experiences available right on their own doorsteps, rather than traveling long distances for bucket-list trips. “Now is the time to open our doors to each other across the region,” Gibbs said. “We can give fellow Caribbean islanders the chance to experience those once-in-a-lifetime trips that people often spend a whole lifetime saving to do — and we have all of it right here, within a short flight or boat ride from home.”

  • Mining district roads will be fixed after rain eases- Natural Resources Minister

    Mining district roads will be fixed after rain eases- Natural Resources Minister

    As of Friday, June 19, 2026, Guyana’s government has formally committed to repairing severely damaged road infrastructure in key mining regions once the ongoing period of extreme heavy rainfall comes to an end, according to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat.

    In an interview with local outlet Demerara Waves Online News, Bharrat confirmed that President Irfaan Ali has already assembled a multi-agency assessment committee tasked with laying the groundwork for the upcoming repairs. The cross-ministerial working group includes representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, ensuring coordinated action across all relevant sectors.

    Bharrat emphasized that large-scale repair work is unfeasible while precipitation remains heavy, telling reporters, “It’s too much to do during the rainy season but it will be fixed after the rain.”

    The government’s announcement comes in direct response to an urgent public appeal from the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), which has raised alarms over the growing threat to national gold output at a time when global gold prices are at a high. The industry body reports that countless roads and navigable waterways across major gold mining zones have become completely impassable due to weeks of excessive rainfall.

    While the association has not yet released a concrete numerical projection for how the poor conditions will cut into production, GGDMA Managing Director Avalon Jagnandan warned that continued bad weather and delayed road repairs will almost certainly deliver a measurable blow to output. “Miners would not be able to properly access their work grounds and get key supplies in their camps. These will certainly hinder production,” Jagnandan explained.

    Beyond blocked roads, the extreme rainfall has forced numerous mining operators to shutter their camps entirely, as widespread flooding has rendered work sites completely unworkable. The GGDMA highlighted the particularly severe crisis along the Puruni River, where floodwaters have overtopped the river’s banks so extensively that the original river channel can no longer be distinguished from the surrounding floodplain. With the river expanding dramatically and carrying powerful, fast-moving currents, all pontoon crossing operations in the area have been suspended—creating even more barriers to access and bringing additional mining operations to a standstill.

  • Miners Association appeals to authorities to fix badly damaged roads in mining district

    Miners Association appeals to authorities to fix badly damaged roads in mining district

    On Friday, June 19, 2026, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) issued an urgent public appeal to the Guyanese government, calling for immediate repairs to heavily damaged interior access roads that serve the country’s key gold and diamond mining regions. The infrastructure damage is a direct consequence of ongoing extreme rainfall that has battered the mining heartland of the nation.

    In the GGDMA’s official statement, Managing Director Avalon Jagnandan emphasized the critical need for rapid intervention from relevant government ministries and regulatory bodies. “We need authorities to help rapidly repair the damaged road infrastructure that will allow miners to access mining areas more easily,” Jagnandan said, framing the repairs as a make-or-break issue for the sector’s ongoing operations.

    Shortly after the appeal was made public, Minister of Mining Vickram Bharrat responded, confirming that full repairs to the mining district road networks will commence once the severe rainfall subsides. Bharrat acknowledged the severity of the crisis, noting that the damaged infrastructure is already weighing heavily on miners and their output at a time when global gold prices are sitting at a historic all-time high. On the day of the appeal, the London Gold Fix opened with spot gold trading at $4,164.55 per ounce, creating a high-stakes window for domestic production that is currently being squandered by weather-related disruptions.

    When asked whether the association had contacted the government privately before launching its public appeal, Jagnandan clarified that the crisis is an ongoing, rapidly evolving situation that demands immediate public attention, adding that the group is actively engaging with authorities to resolve the issue. While the GGDMA has not yet released a formal statistical projection for lost gold output, Jagnandan warned that continued poor weather and delayed road repairs will almost certainly drag down production levels. “Miners would not be able to properly access their work grounds and get key supplies in their camps. These will certainly hinder production,” he explained.

    Beyond road damage, the unrelenting rainfall has triggered widespread flooding that has forced dozens of small and medium mining operators to shut down their camps entirely, as work sites have become completely unworkable. The situation is particularly acute along the Puruni River, where floodwaters have overtopped the river’s banks so extensively that the natural river channel is no longer distinguishable from surrounding low-lying lands. The combination of vastly expanded flood coverage and powerful fast-moving currents has forced operators to suspend all pontoon crossings in the region, cutting off access to large swathes of active mining territory and grinding operations to a halt.

    In addition to its appeal for government support, the GGDMA has issued urgent safety guidance for miners still operating in flood-impacted areas, urging extra vigilance as saturated soil has become far more prone to collapse. In recent weeks, multiple mining pit collapses have been recorded across affected districts, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and extensive damage to heavy mining equipment. The association has reminded all mining operators to adhere strictly to all established safety protocols set out by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, while also advising miners to continue selling gold to the Guyana Gold Board or licensed private buyers, and maintain full, accurate records of all transactions.

    The sector is facing additional strain beyond weather-related disruptions, the GGDMA confirmed: a recent spike in criminal activity across remote hinterland mining regions has eroded confidence among small, vulnerable independent miners. Over the past several months, multiple miners have been assaulted and robbed in isolated mining districts, creating further uncertainty for an industry already grappling with extreme weather challenges.

  • Puerto Plata, world epicenter of cruises with the Pamac Cruise Summit

    Puerto Plata, world epicenter of cruises with the Pamac Cruise Summit

    The Dominican Republic’s northern coastal province of Puerto Plata has secured the right to host the 2026 Pamac Cruise Summit, one of the most influential annual gatherings for the worldwide cruise sector, organized by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). Scheduled to run from June 22 to 26, 2026, the summit is set to draw a high-profile crowd including C-suite executives from leading global cruise lines, destination management representatives from across the Americas, infrastructure investors, and other key strategic stakeholders across the cruise value chain.

    For more than 10 years, the Pamac Cruise Summit has held the status of the flagship annual conference for FCCA Platinum members. Over that time, it has evolved into a vital industry platform that facilitates knowledge sharing, partnership building, and collaborative growth between major cruise operators and coastal and island destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. It is widely regarded as a key space for aligning industry priorities, addressing common challenges, and unlocking new opportunities for regional tourism development.

    Puerto Plata’s selection as the 2026 host comes on the back of its already strong performance as a leading cruise destination in the Dominican Republic. Official data from May of this year shows that the province’s two major cruise ports handled 86% of all cruise passenger arrivals to the entire country. Of that total, Amber Cove accounted for 49% of the national volume, welcoming 18,802 passengers, while Taino Bay took a 37% share with 51,233 cruise visitors docking at its terminal.

    Regional Tourism Director Carlos Atahualpa Paulino emphasized that the FCCA’s decision to award the summit to Puerto Plata is far more than just an event win: it represents a major vote of confidence in both the province and the Dominican Republic as a whole. “This selection will put our destination front and center in the conversations of the entire international cruise industry,” Paulino noted. He also credited the successful bid to the targeted efforts led by Dominican Minister of Tourism David Collado, as well as the long-standing cooperation agreement between the Dominican national government, led by President Luis Abinader, and the FCCA.

    Local and national tourism authorities project that the 2026 summit will deliver a substantial, multi-sector economic boost to Puerto Plata long before the first attendees arrive. The event is expected to drive significant increases in hotel occupancy throughout the hosting period, while also injecting new revenue into local transportation providers, family-owned restaurants and gastronomy businesses, retail outlets, and other auxiliary tourism services that rely on visitor spending.

    Beyond immediate economic gains, industry leaders and government officials believe the summit will create long-term value for the Dominican Republic. It is expected to amplify the destination’s global brand exposure, draw new foreign and domestic investment into cruise infrastructure and tourism services, and cement the position of both Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic as leading, reliable benchmarks for cruise and leisure tourism across the entire Caribbean region.

  • IDB says regional exports rise significantly in early 2026

    IDB says regional exports rise significantly in early 2026

    New data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reveals a robust expansion of export activity across Latin America and the Caribbean, with the total value of regional goods shipments rising 15.7% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. This strong performance builds on the 7.8% annual growth the region recorded in 2025, according to the bank’s latest *Trade Trends Estimates – Latin America and the Caribbean* report.

    The upward trend is fueled by simultaneous growth in both export volumes and per-unit pricing, the analysis confirms. Leading the expansion are mineral exports, most notably gold and copper, followed by resilient gains in the agribusiness sector, where soybeans, coffee, and meat have all posted strong returns. Energy exports, particularly crude oil, have also made a substantial contribution to overall regional growth.

    Paolo Giordano, lead economist for the IDB’s Productivity, Trade, and Innovation Sector and the report’s lead coordinator, noted that the region has steadily strengthened its export standing even amid widespread volatility and uncertainty in global trade markets. The consistent growth momentum, he argued, demonstrates the region’s growing adaptive capacity to shifting global conditions.

    Giordano emphasized that the current export uptick creates a timely window for policymakers to advance structural reforms that can lift long-term productivity, enhance regional competitiveness, expand market diversification across global trading blocs, and build stronger resilience to future external economic shocks.

    Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, the IDB maintains a broadly positive medium-term outlook for regional trade. Still, the report warns of lingering risks that could disrupt performance in the coming months. Shifting global commodity prices will create uneven impacts across the region: net energy and food importing nations will face additional cost pressure, while commodity exporting economies stand to benefit from elevated global prices. Meanwhile, sustained high prices for fertilizers and global shipping services are pushing up production and distribution costs across the region, creating a mixed landscape of both opportunities and risks for export growth.

    On the import side, the IDB estimates total regional imports grew 6.7% in 2025, followed by a 9.7% year-over-year acceleration in the first quarter of 2026. This growth has been driven primarily by increased purchases of goods from markets outside the Latin America and Caribbean region, with intra-regional trade expanding at a far more moderate pace. The report also notes that commodity prices followed widely divergent trends in early 2026, a reflection of growing global market fragmentation and ongoing shifts in global supply and demand dynamics.

  • Collado’s titanic effort to maintain the cruise boom

    Collado’s titanic effort to maintain the cruise boom

    The Dominican Republic’s tourism sector, long the nation’s economic cornerstone, has avoided a potentially damaging decline in cruise arrivals after proactive intervention from Tourism Minister David Collado, who moved swiftly to reverse operational cuts from major global cruise lines.

    Collado has made it clear from the start of his administration that his team’s priority is delivering tangible, on-the-ground projects that drive long-term, stable growth for the country’s $10 billion-plus tourism industry. Beyond infrastructure upgrades that include new public park development, beachside problem resolution, and critical seawall restoration, the ministry is focused on protecting visitor volumes to key destinations such as Puerto Plata, which is on track to welcome more than 2.6 million cruise passengers this year alone.

    When data from the peak travel months of May, June, and July raised red flags for the cruise segment—one of the highest contributors to tourism revenue in the Dominican Republic—Collado moved quickly to address the slowdown rather than waiting for the decline to deepen. “We were elected to govern, not just observe,” he noted, emphasizing that proactive problem-solving is a core responsibility of public leadership in the sector. “I cannot allow tourism to decline or for a false perception to arise that the sector is shrinking. A public administrator must prevent and act before problems occur.”

    Collado recently held direct, high-level talks with C-suite executives from three of the world’s largest cruise operators: MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival Cruise Line. During those discussions, he flagged an alarming roughly 30% drop in scheduled operations at Dominican ports from some lines. Further analysis revealed a key driver of the shift: the opening of new port infrastructure in the Bahamas, which had siphoned off multiple itineraries originally planned for the Dominican Republic.

    Recognizing that tourism is the Dominican Republic’s most valuable economic asset, Collado’s team prioritized immediate negotiation to reverse the losses. In a rare win for the country—given that cruise itineraries are typically locked in up to two years in advance—Royal Caribbean agreed to adjust its scheduled routes to add 48,000 additional passenger arrivals to the Dominican Republic. Of that total, nearly 18,000 extra visitors will arrive in a month that was originally projected to post negative growth for cruise tourism.

    Collado has since publicly thanked Royal Caribbean for the adjustment via his social media channels, choosing to withhold granular details of the negotiations to preserve the collaborative, trust-based relationships his ministry has built with all private sector cruise partners.

    Looking ahead, the minister attributes emerging positive results in the Dominican tourism sector to consistent, coordinated planning between the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) and private industry stakeholders, a partnership that works continuously to strengthen the country’s competitiveness as a top Caribbean destination.

    “Good news doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of taking action, working hard, seeking consensus, and overcoming obstacles every day so that Dominican tourism continues to grow,” Collado said.

  • Jamaica Customs to speed up release of new motor vehicles

    Jamaica Customs to speed up release of new motor vehicles

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a major push to modernize trade operations and boost economic productivity, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) has unveiled a key update to its national Trade Facilitation Programme. Starting Monday, June 22, 2026, new motor vehicles imported by licensed authorized new car dealers will be eligible for immediate release from the country’s ports of entry, marking a significant departure from long-standing regulatory protocols.

    For decades, all imported new vehicles were required to complete a mandatory in-person physical verification check before they could be cleared for departure from port facilities. Under the new framework, this pre-clearance inspection will be replaced with post-clearance verification, shifting the compliance check to after the vehicle has been released to the dealer. The JCA announced the policy shift in an official public statement issued Friday, noting that the change came after a months-long ongoing risk assessment of imports from authorized new car dealers. That assessment ultimately classified this category of vehicle shipments as low-risk, justifying the regulatory adjustment.

    Fayval Williams, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, emphasized that the policy update aligns directly with the Jamaican government’s core national productivity goals, which center on cutting red tape and increasing operational efficiency across all public sector trade functions. “This initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to improving efficiency, productivity and the ease of doing business in Jamaica,” Williams stated in the official announcement.

    Williams explained that the enhanced trade facilitation measure will cut down wait times for vehicle clearance and create a more stable, predictable operating environment for legitimate automotive sector businesses to scale and expand. She also framed the change as one incremental step in a far broader public sector modernization agenda that the administration is advancing across government agencies. “The Government will continue to review operating procedures and services, identifying opportunities to simplify processes with the aim of increasing efficiency,” Williams added.

    Kirk Benjamin, Acting CEO and Commissioner of Customs, echoed that perspective, pointing out that the previous pre-clearance inspection system imposed unnecessary delays and added avoidable costs for a category of imports that already carried minimal compliance risk. “For years, new motor vehicles imported by authorised dealers had to be physically verified before they could leave the port. This change will reduce time, cost and congestion at our ports of entry,” Benjamin said.

    Benjamin also clarified that the update is not an ad-hoc one-off change, but a deliberate expansion of the JCA’s ongoing Trade Facilitation Programme. “These vehicles come from a small group of authorised dealers, in high volumes, with a high level of compliance, and they present a very low risk profile. That combination makes them an ideal fit for post-clearance verification,” Benjamin explained. Beyond streamlining dealer operations, the policy shift will also allow the JCA to reallocate limited customs resources that were previously dedicated to pre-clearance physical inspections to other higher-priority, higher-risk trade areas, boosting overall agency efficiency.