“The new system is the JCA’s declaration of “war” against criminals, many of whom are Jamaicans domiciled overseas, determined to use the agency for nefarious activities. The idea here is for us to pull on the treasure trove of data we have stored in our customs management system, ASYCUDA, combine that with other data sources, and provide a more complete picture as it relates to suspected bad actors, their associates, and associations. Big data is a tool we intend to exploit to the fullest in our pursuit of criminals and those wishing to do harm to Jamaica and its people. Know that the Jamaica Customs Agency will not relent. The system is being implemented to facilitate legitimate trade, putting the agency in a position to better target illicit activities and players.”

Velma Ricketts Walker Commissioner of Customs 

“The bulk of information currently being stored on Customs’ ASYCUDA system is, by itself, useless unless manually manipulated. We are now seeking to properly manipulate the system through the use of an intelligence database. The Government collects data at various points with the approval of respective government organisations. We want to pull that in so that we can paint a more complete picture if we are looking at a suspect or a target organisation or even a business entity. the pooling together of information accessed through state agencies will show, for instance, persons’ history with Customs, their tax history, and their arrival and departure history through the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency. That now is a very powerful tool in the hands of law enforcement.”

Alwyn Nicely Deputy Commissioner

“Some of our member countries have recovered their losses and, indeed, some sectors are booming. Latin America was the fastest-growing region in the world for venture capital in 2021, with a record-smashing US$20 billion flowing in.”

Mauricio Claver-Carone President of the IDB

“Through the pursuit of sustainable fiscal and monetary policies, we are entrenching stability that facilitates private sector-led investment and growth. To maximise on these possibilities and to also ensure that these opportunities are equitably available, we aim to commoditise capital, and in particular equity capital. We expect this to create an environment that is fertile for innovation, investment and value-added, risk-taking activities,”
Finance Minister Nigel Clarke

“The main objective is to promote inclusive growth and productivity by fostering innovation in the private sector. The purpose is to jump-start economic growth by building an ecosystem that supports dynamic entrepreneurship and innovation in MSMEs. We are promoting innovation and productivity among established MSMEs with high growth potential; promote sustainable and inclusive growth in scalable start-ups; and creating a sustainable pipeline of entrepreneurs and high-growth potential start-ups. Entrepreneurship and innovation activities that tackle gender and climate issues will be targeted and implemented.”
Finance Minister Nigel Clarke