Kingston port expansion requires tax free zone to move

The tax free zone in Jamaican capital Kingston is to be transferred to an area currently owned by the Urban Development Corporation in the Caymanas area to make way for expansion of the Kingston Transhipment Port, Robert Stephens, project officer for business development at the Port Authority, was quoted as saying in the Jamaican Gleaner. Dismantling of the free zone in stages will start before the end of the year and construction of the new tax free zone will start in mid-2005, Stephens said. Currently, there are about 30 companies at the existing 93,000sq m. site. Kingston port authorities are attempting to lure investors to the port that has upgraded security features to meet international and United States security certification by June-July of 2004.