AS Jamaica approaches its 50th year since it declared its independence in 1962, many are reflecting on just how far the country has come and what can be done to facilitate even greater progress in the future.

Speaking at yesterday’s Grand Jamaica Homecoming 2012 Business Breakfast Launch held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Dr Christopher Tufton said that at 50, Jamaica has made a degree of progress in identifying and exploiting its potential but not enough to the country’s advantage. He further added that all too often Jamaicans are overly critical and bench mark the country against other nations that have been independent for hundreds of years. He said that for a young country of 50, there were things to be proud of and the task now was to build and prosper for the years ahead.

“Jamaica is a country with a population of about three million but it is a nation-state that represents approximately five million dispersed across the globe. This spells opportunities for us. We must now focus and exploit the positives and make the most of our strong brand,” said Tufton.

The minister went on to say that it was vitally important that Jamaica now networks effectively in the global economy and that those in the diaspora must act as agents for the country. The fact that Jamaica is in close proximity to key markets in both the north and south augurs well for exports and should help to bolster the productive sector.

“The next 50 years must see us as a country spending more time on addressing bureaucracy. We have stifled our creativity through institutionalised bureaucracy. We must endeavour to change relevant laws to assume the innocence and sincerity of our investors, facilitate investments quickly and strengthen the audit function to identify deviance.

Going forward we must refocus toward the development of our human capital in areas that are aligned to the opportunities we need to exploit. We must encourage modernisation of industry to boost competitiveness. It is important that we promote and support innovation and creativity and strengthen the laws to protect innovation, for example copyright, patent and geographical indicator laws,” declared Tufton.

Chancellor of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada G Raymond Chang said the Grand Jamaica Homecoming was initially conceived to encourage the Jamaican diaspora to come home to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence.

Speaking before some of Jamaica’s more notable business leaders, Chang declared: “We realised that we had tapped into a market to whom Jamaican suppliers could target their products and services… and not only in the obvious hospitality sector. For example GraceKennedy, Walkerswood, Appleton, Pickapeppa… all are available in the diaspora.

“The Grand Jamaica Homecoming has evolved into more than just homecoming. It is a grand connector. It is able to connect the Jamaica diaspora with Jamaican suppliers and their associated entities that are located wherever there is a Jamaican diaspora community.

I encourage you all to take advantage of this connection. We can help take Jamaica where we would like it to be. With a little imagination and effort we can have some impact on what Jamaica will be in the future. We should ask ourselves, what part each of us play to make Jamaica a better place for all in the future?”