CARIBBEAN-Caribbean urged to continue punching above its weight.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – The 2025 Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) began here officially on Tuesday night with Jamaica’s Finance and Public Service Minister, Fayval Williams, saying that the Caribbean should become more competitive, remove barriers to intra-regional trade, and continue efforts to punch above its weight.

The three-day forum is being held under the theme “Transforming Our Future: Catalyzing Innovation and Investment” and brings together heads of government, private sector leaders, and international partners to discuss investment opportunities in technology, agriculture, and sustainable industries.

The Jamaican government is hosting it in collaboration with the Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), the regional trade and investment promotion agency focused on building a resilient Caribbean. The forum is being attended by more than 500 delegates across 20 countries.

Delivering the feature address on the theme “Investing in the future, a vision for Caribbean growth and competitiveness,” Williams said that Jamaica had developed a new policy framework for inclusive growth titled ASPIRE, which outlines six critical pillars for transforming the country into a modern, peaceful, productive, and prosperous society.

She told the audience that infrastructure is no longer just about roads and ports, but now includes resilience, connectivity, and readiness to compete in a digitized, decarbonized global economy.

“ASPIRE is also about the reform of the bureaucracy, about the ease, speed, and cost of doing business. We are deeply aware that red tape stifles investment and growth, and through e-government reforms, we are making it faster and more transparent to start, operate, and grow a business in Jamaica.

“We are digitising permitting, streamlining customs, and reforming public procurement. Our digital public infrastructure programme will enable real-time data sharing across agencies, lower transaction costs, and reduce corruption.”

Williams said Jamaica is urging its regional partners to” continue modernizing regulatory frameworks, continue to harmonise standards and continue to remove barriers to cross-border investment”.

She said ASPIRE is also about economic diversification and new industries, adding, “We must embrace diversification.

“Jamaica is advancing new and emerging industries, from medical tourism and logistics to digital services, agro-businesses, and creative businesses. We are also expanding our special economic zone framework to attract high-value investment in sectors such as health care, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing”.

The Finance and Public Service Minister said the Caribbean’s future competitiveness lies in developing new comparative advantages and then linking them through stronger regional value chains.

She said that, to that end, Jamaica supports the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME), which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour, and services across the region.

She said Kingston also welcomes the progress made in removing the obstacles to the free movement of capital, labour, and services.

“The Caribbean is not too small to matter. Our strategic location, our young population, and collective market power make us uniquely positioned to punch above our weight,” she said, adding that it is necessary to invest in a Caribbean future.

“ASPIRE is not just Jamaica’s growth framework, it is a regional blueprint for transformation. We are proving that small states with discipline, vision, and partnership can deliver big results. We have restored macro-economic stability, we are improving governance, and we are creating a pipeline of bankable projects in high-growth sectors.”

But she said transformation is not only the task of regional governments alone, adding, “We need private capital, innovation, and cross-border collaboration.

‘That is why the Caribbean Investment Forum is so vital, it is a place not just for dialogue but for real deal, not just for vision but for execution, and to every investor here today, I say this, the Caribbean is simply not just waiting to be discovered, we are ready to partner with you.

‘We are investing in the future, and we invite you to do the same. So let us move from potential to performance, from ambition to achievement. Let’s build a Caribbean that aspires and delivers,” Williams added.

Earlier, the executive director of Caribbean Export, Dr Damie Sinanan, said that it is not enough to have vision, saying “we need action.

“We need the policies and the political will to make the Caribbean a place where business is easy, scalable, and sustainable,” Sinanan said, challenging regional stakeholders to act with urgency to reposition the Caribbean as a globally competitive player.

“We cannot build resilient economies on consumption alone. We have to move beyond survival mode and into strategic investment in the sectors that will grow our GDP, create jobs, and secure our future.”

Sinanan told the opening ceremony that the Caribbean must not miss the current global shift toward digital transformation, climate-smart agriculture, and green energy.

“If we are serious about food security, climate resilience, and energy independence, then we must attract the kind of investments that bring new technology, open new markets, and foster local entrepreneurship,” he said, urging countries to remove the bureaucratic barriers that frustrate investors and innovators alike.