JAMAICA IS briskly moving ahead to promote itself as a major regional and world maritime centre.
This goal is not only confined to the enlargement of its international ship registry, launched in 2001, but encompasses a wide range of maritime activities, including container transhipment, in which Kingston is already a leading Caribbean player.
Jamaica is also home port for cruise ships, offers training to Caribbean and overseas ships officers and crews through the Caribbean Maritime Institute, container construction and repair and even shipbuilding and ship maintenance.
GROUND-BREAKING CONFERENCE
How to attract the capital investment necessary to achieve their goal of becoming a major maritime centre will be examined during a ground-breaking conference, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel titled, 'Jamaica: the Next World Maritime Centre' on November 10-11, 2005.
Jamaica's Ministry of Transport and Works, led by Minister Robert Pickersgill, and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), headed by Rear Admiral Peter Brady, have both thrown their weight behind the country's maritime ambitions.
The conference is attracting regional and international delegates such as ship owners, ship managers, ports managers, terminal operators, shipping lines, investors, banks, financial institutions and consultants.
International delegates (senior executives) will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the shipping industry in Jamaica and future business oppor-tunities in this exciting marketplace.
The speakers, leading experts in their fields, will be able to provide the delegates with the latest information relating to new developments in Jamaica.
They will lead debates on key issues such as container transhipment, terminals infrastructure and cargo traffic, Jamaica as a logistics centre, and its strategic position as a future world maritime centre.
Minister Pickersgill will deliver the keynote address and Rear Admiral Brady will talk on the sensitive subject of port security.
