MINISTER of Industry, Investment and Commence Dr Christopher Tufton has suggested that subsidies for tertiary and vocational education be channeled into areas of greatest need in the country.

“I think as long as Government subsidises education and training the Government should reserve the right to look at the needs that are required in building out industry and channel some of those subsidies and resources into relevant areas of training and education,” Dr Tufton said yesterday.

Speaking at the business launch of Grand Jamaica Homecoming 2012 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston, Dr Tufton said tertiary education should not be viewed as a free market in which all areas of study are paid for by the taxpayer.

“We are putting out graduates who are not necessarily aligned to the challenges we face as a country,” he said.

At the same time, the industry minister indicated his intention to focus on clearing red tape to facilitate business and protect Jamaica’s intellectual property in the future.

“I may get into trouble for saying this but, unfortunately, even as lawmakers we have put so many layers of bureaucracy because of an assumption that investors are corrupt and are trying to beat the system rather that assuming that everybody is innocent and allowing the process to flow smoothly and then instituting a strong audit function at the end of the process to determine whether or not they are guiltless,” the minister said.

“If we have to abolish some of the laws to facilitate speedier transaction time and then audit transactions after the fact to ensure compliance, then it is something that the government will be prepared to do,” he added.

Grand Jamaica Homecoming 2012 — a non-partisan and not-for-profit initiative with a vision carried out by a team of Jamaican-Canadian and Jamaican volunteers — is a year-long celebration of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence. It was officially launched in Toronto, Canada last August under the patronage of Jamaican Canadian philanthropists and business leaders, Michael Lee Chin and Raymond Chang.

There are an estimated 300,000 persons of Jamaican heritage living in Canada, while more than 300,000 Canadians visit Jamaica each year.