Evaluating Jamaica’s economy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica’s economy is moving into the modern age, and it’s clear that we’re starting to change things for the better. We’ve been working on making our economy more sustainable and attractive, not just to our Caribbean neighbours, but to the global market as well.

That said, there are a few things that we still need to sort out if we want to compete internationally. For one, we need to create a solid plan to help communities and parishes that seem to have been left out of this development push. Places like St. Mary, Portland, and Manchester are struggling because there’s not enough infrastructure to draw in investors and create jobs, which is crucial for lowering unemployment in these areas.

We also need to get back to our roots in agriculture. Jamaica has always been an agricultural country, so it makes no sense for us to keep importing foods that we can easily grow ourselves. We should support our local farmers and help them find ways to sell their products, both locally and internationally. It’s essential to boost domestic production so that locally grown food becomes more affordable.

Another big piece of the puzzle is human capital. While we’ve made progress in recent years, there’s still a lot of work to do in developing our workforce. The more skilled and educated our people are, the better equipped they’ll be to thrive as Jamaica continues to grow economically.

As we aim for a better future, let’s not forget that it’s our responsibility to promote the well-being of every Jamaican. Our plans should include everyone, not just be focused on attracting foreign investors. We need to work toward an economy that’s safe, secure, and affordable for everyone to live and raise a family comfortably.

RICARDO E SMITH