Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill, has welcomed the opening of KFC Morant Bay as an important symbol of economic decentralisation.

The store, which is the 43rd KFC in Jamaica and the 29th outlet outside of Kingston, represents an investment of $350 million by franchise owners, Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ).

“This is the kind of economic decentralisation that helps communities that are positioned to benefit from increased business activity and employment,” the minister said.

He was speaking at the grand opening of the restaurant inside the Morant Bay Urban Centre in St Thomas on January 17.

The 436,000 square-foot, multibillion-dollar development by the Government will house a plethora of public and private-sector entities in one space.

It is the first of its kind to be built in Jamaica and a poster child for the Government’s strategy to decentralise development.

KFC is the first private-sector entity to open at the facility.

“I’m happy to see KFC right here because you don’t build an urban centre and expect that next day it will all fill out,” Hill said. “Banks are coming. Some people who didn’t plan to come are saying, ‘boy, I have to be here’.”

He noted that through developments like the Morant Bay Urban Centre, the Government is changing communities into “investment centres”.

For his part, Mayor of Morant Bay Councillor Louis Chin hailed the significant capital investment in the parish and the more than 50 new jobs that the development has already created.

“The arrival of KFC in Morant Bay is more than just the opening of a world-class restaurant. It is a clear signal of investor confidence in our parish and a significant capital investment and a long-term commitment to the people of St. Thomas,” Mayor Chin said. “This new KFC branch has provided jobs for our local residents and is helping to empower our youth and strengthen the economic backbone of our community.”

ROJ Managing Director, Mark Myers, in his remarks, stated that the KFC Morant Bay opening “reflects a deliberate decision to invest in communities beyond Kingston and to grow in places where opportunity and potential continue to emerge”.

He noted that when plans for the Morant Bay Urban Centre were first taking shape, “We saw an opportunity to be part of something transformational. We wanted to participate in the continued development of this parish, to invest early and to grow alongside the community. That conviction is what brought us here.”

“The Morant Bay Urban Centre represents what can be a space for growth, commerce, and community, and we are proud that KFC Morant Bay forms part of that vision,” he added.