Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, Dr Damie Sinanan, is calling for the region to shift from being a consumer-based society to one that is driven by innovation, production, and export, warning that the region’s long-term prosperity depends on it.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Caribbean Investment Forum at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James on Tuesday, Sinanan challenged regional stakeholders to act with urgency to reposition the Caribbean as a globally competitive player.
“We cannot build resilient economies on consumption alone,” Sinanan declared.
“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.”
The three-day forum, being held under the theme “Transforming Our Future: Catalyzing Innovation and Investment”, brings together heads of government, private sector leaders, and international partners to discuss investment opportunities in technology, agriculture, and sustainable industries.
Sinanan emphasised 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.
He also urged countries to remove the bureaucratic barriers that frustrate investors and innovators alike.
“It’s not enough to have vision. 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 told the gathering.
The forum, hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica and other partners, has drawn participation from over 500 delegates across 20 countries.
For his part, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, in his address, said the future of the Caribbean must be shaped by modern strategies that boost resilience, innovation, and sustainability.
The Caribbean of the future is one that leverages technology to drive productivity, harnesses clean energy to power growth, strengthens infrastructure to enhance competitiveness, and modernises agriculture to ensure food security,” said Holness in a video presentation.
“These are the foundational pillars of a resilient and inclusive economy,” he added.
Holness described the forum as more than just an annual fixture on the investment calendar, hailing it as a clear demonstration of the region’s determination to position itself as a united and globally competitive economic hub.
“It is a whole declaration of our collective intent to present the Caribbean not as isolated island economies, but as a globally competitive and sustainable investment space at the crossroads of the Americas.”
– Albert Ferguson
This article was originally published in the Jamaica Gleaner on July 29, 2025.
