Prime Minister Holness Challenges Investors to Drive Growth and Productivity as Jamaica Accelerates Recovery After Hurricane Melissa
As Jamaica moves decisively to recover from the economic disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa, Prime Minister the Most Honourable Dr. Andrew Holness has issued a direct challenge to investors to expand investment, raise productivity, and pursue large-scale, innovative projects to power faster national recovery and long-term growth.
Speaking on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) at the official opening of the Wisynco Brewery and New Manufacturing Facility in St. Catherine, the Prime Minister underscored that economic expansion, not retrenchment, is the path forward following the hurricane’s impact on multiple sectors and parishes.
“The only way for us to come out of this is to grow our way out of it. There is no international aid that can rescue us. The days of us looking for a country or a benefactor to come and assist, those days are over. We must stand on our own two feet and recover by ourselves. That is the definition of an independent country,” Prime Minister Holness said.
The Prime Minister assured Jamaicans that the Government remains firmly focused on their interests, highlighting measurable national progress even in the face of adversity, including declining murder rates, improved stability, and strong international confidence in Jamaica’s economic management.
“When you have a strong economy, when your country is growing, when you deal with crime, when the international rating agencies look upon your policies and say, yes, Jamaica is doing well… Jamaica can be assured that you have a government that looks about the interests of the Jamaican people, that is focused on building a strong economy, maintaining stability, protecting democracy and the rule of law, and ensuring that the policies we pursue are always directed at improving the lives, opportunities and long-term prospects of our citizens,” the Prime Minister stated.
Prime Minister Holness encouraged investors to act decisively, noting that now is the time for bold, technology-driven investments that increase productivity. He pointed to deliberate policy measures, including the accelerated capital allowance regime introduced in the 2025–2026 Budget, as evidence that the Government is doing its part by investing in infrastructure and creating a stable, predictable environment to support entrepreneurs and long-term capital expansion.
“I am reissuing the challenge to our investors; the people who contribute through the private sector to the expansion of the GDP. Now is the time for you to be thinking creatively. Now is the time to be entrepreneurial, as you are the entrepreneurial class. Now is the time to be thinking on big projects, not small timid projects, but large-scale projects that will move the needle,” said Prime Minister Holness.
In closing, the Prime Minister described the Wisynco brewery as more than a new facility, calling it a statement about Jamaica’s economic direction, institutional maturity, and growing investor confidence. He noted that manufacturing remains critical to job creation, productivity, and export growth, reinforcing Jamaica’s steady year-by-year improvement and its forward march toward sustained prosperity.