Having recorded 10 podcasts in person at the Inter American Development Bank’s excellent conference in Panama – PPP Americas – this latest one is with a delegate from Jamaica who was not able to attend in person.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat on all matters PPP with Denise Arana, general manager of public private partnerships and privatisation at the Development Bank of Jamaica.

Having been involved with the development of PPP in Jamaica since its inception – working in that role since Jamaica officially introduced PPPs in 2012 – Denise is perfectly placed to talk about the national strategy for private sector involvement in the financing of national infrastructure.

Jamaica has 4 significant PPP transactions – 2 airports, a container terminal and a road – under its belt:

• Norman Manley International Airport Expansion PPP – FC end October 2019
• Sangster International Airport – FC December 2005
• Kingston Container Terminal Expansion PPP – FC summer 2016
• Highway 2000 PPP Phase 1B-1 – FC March 2011, concession retired 2017

In the pipeline, Jamaica has 1 small solar power project – valued at around $5 million (too small to appear on the IJ database) – a pilot programme of rooftop PV on 30 educational establishments.

Jamaica also reached commercial close last November (2022) on Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant PPP – a DBFOM project with a 25-year concession to treat 15 million gallons-per-day for the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

For anyone with an interest in Caribbean infrastructure investment, this is a must listen…