KINGSTON, JAMAICA – In keeping with Jamaica’s focus on building forward better, the World Free Zones Organisation’s eighth Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE) 2022, the first to be held in the Caribbean, will focus on sustainability as central to economic growth when it takes place on the island this summer.

“As we prepare to serve as host nation for this important global event, we are very pleased to have sustainability at the heart of the conference program,” said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

“This strengthens the alignment with our goals for tourism as we are working to diversify the sector. We are aiming to make it more resilient and sustainable while also attracting investment to support its ongoing development and growth,” Bartlett continued.

The 2022 AICE program will  feature directors of several multilateral organisations and other major institutions who will speak about free zones as partners for building resilience, promoting sustainability and achieving prosperity.

Among the specific presentation topics being developed for the event are: Shaping the Future of Supply Chain Resilience; Charting the Future of an Inclusive E-commerce; Reforming the Global Tax System; and How Ecosystems of Trust Drive Prosperity.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill noted that the conference will introduce new players to Jamaica as an investment and tourism destination. 

He said, “It will further our goal of attracting major opportunities for the development of large-scale, modern special economic zones.”

Stressing the importance of free zones to economic growth, especially within the Caribbean, Dr Samir Hamrouni, CEO of the World Free Zones Organization, said, “Free zones often function as enclaves of excellence well integrated with the global value chains. Jamaica is a key country boasting global linkages, with Kingston as the chief port. We believe AICE 2022 will benefit the whole region in general and Jamaica in particular.”