Why Jamaica needs a national vision beyond 2030
Published:Tuesday | February 17, 2026 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
The Gleaner editorial of February 16 on Vision 2050 and the future raises issues that deserve urgent and sustained national attention.
When Vision 2030 was launched in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, Jamaica faced crippling debt, anaemic growth, and eroding investor confidence. Since then, successive administrations have achieved commendable macroeconomic stability. Debt reduction, historically low unemployment, and improved fiscal discipline reflect serious policy commitment and sacrifice by the people. These gains must not be minimised. However, macroeconomic stability, while necessary, is not sufficient to guarantee transformational growth.
Jamaica now confronts a world where market access is increasingly conditioned on technical compliance, environmental standards, and geopolitical alignment. Competing on price alone will not secure sustainable growth. Instead, competitiveness will hinge on productivity, digital capacity, regulatory sophistication, and human capital development.
The notion that fiscal prudence alone would unleash robust private-sector expansion has proven overly optimistic. Across emerging economies that have successfully transitioned to higher income levels, deliberate state-private sector partnerships, targeted industrial policy, and long-term investment in innovation have played decisive roles. Jamaica must study and adapt such lessons to its own context. Persistent underperformance in literacy, numeracy, and STEM disciplines weakens the country’s ability to meet increasingly complex global standards. If export markets require traceability systems, carbon accounting, and advanced sanitary compliance, then Jamaica must cultivate a workforce proficient in data analytics, digital management systems, renewable energy engineering, and quality assurance.
Equally pressing is energy reform. Accelerating investment in renewable energy is an economic imperative. Energy independence reduces vulnerability to external shocks while strengthening Jamaica’s credibility in markets that demand decarbonized supply chains.
Crime reduction also remains foundational. Investors require predictability and security; citizens require safety and dignity. Sustaining recent progress in lowering homicide rates must remain a non-negotiable. Most critically, the next long-term vision must be owned politically at the highest level. Technocratic planning is indispensable, but without visible and sustained commitment from the political executive, implementation risks fragmentation. National development must transcend electoral cycles. A new 20 to 30-year framework should be debated widely, embraced across parties, and communicated clearly so citizens understand both the sacrifices required and the benefits envisioned.
ROBERT DALLEY