Too many times when I hear discussions by technocrats and politicians of Vision 2030 (Jamaica at developed world status by that year), I feel as if I am living on another planet.

Sure I know the temptation is to conclude from the beginning, ‘Here we go again…’ as politicians attempt to sell us another bottle of snake oil. My main criticism with the discussions is that the plans towards attaining this desirable and lofty goal seem to have encompassed only the planners and the politicians who have attached themselves to it.

Almost to a man, none of the people I encounter at street level have any idea what Vision 2030 is. It could be that I am moving in the wrong circles, but the impression I have formed is that our politicians and technocrats seem to believe that somehow the grand goal of taking Jamaica to developed world status can be attained in a vacuum without the active input of the people of this country.

Of course, every argument in this country begins and ends with the resource constraints question. How can we prepare the nation for Vision 2030 when there is no evidence that we have taken that very first all-important step? How can we attain that status by 2030 without a whole new cadre of educated, trained people? Where will we find the money to pay for this massive education push?

Outside of tourism where we have Sandals Corporate University providing cutting-edge training for new managers in the service industry, what are the other so-called ‘big-ticket’ items that Jamaica has planned to get us out of the economic rut we have been stuck in for the last 50 years?

Months ago I wrote that it is fairly well established in the thought processes of the business gurus in academia, the entrepreneurial class and policy makers in Government that a number of factors have to be at play in the economy if we are to crawl out from the hole of economic malaise we have been in for close to 50 years.

First the country needs new money in new ideas for investments or to retool established commercial, service and especially manufacturing entities that can make the link into the global supply chain.

I also reiterated that at some stage, it will begin to dawn on us that getting Europeans to build more high-rise hotels on the north coast for exploiting the ‘sun, sea and sand’ to its limit — will press the viability of such investments to the wall.

Anthony Hylton, the minister of industry, investment and commerce, will need to look at areas less subject to the vagaries of social interruption. One such investment proposal that has come to his attention is Dr Lloyd Cole’s proposal for a dry dock at Jackson Bay and the numerous other linkages that it comes with.

At last check, Dr Cole had taken his proposal to the previous JLP Administration. Chinese investors (along with one from Dubai) had indicated keen interest, but due to China’s highly centralised and unique mix of communist ideology and state capitalism, the Chinese required a Jamaican Government stamp of approval before a pre-feasibility study could be effected.

Over 20 years ago, Dr Cole, a Jamaican medical doctor, conceptualised that plan that has the workable potential to take Jamaica’s development curve out of the incrementalist approach that has kept our economy and too many of our people mired in a long season of barely peeping over the edge of subsistence living.

His comprehensive plan for the construction of a major state-of-the-art dry dock facility at Jackson Bay in Clarendon, capable of meeting the service needs of cruise ships, cargo ships, pleasure boats of all international marine categories and sizes, needed direct government approvals at all stages.

Allocation of lands (secured) had remained in a state of stillbirth for over 20 years, but finally, I am pleased to report, the matter has gained more traction in the last year than in the previous 20.

Prior to the change of Government in 2011, Cole had met with the respective personnel in the JLP Administration. Although they saw merit, viability and the need to push with urgency, in the end it was all hot air and again indicative of how Government and its stifling bureaucracy are stumbling blocks to development.

In pursuing foreign direct investments we should never, of course, assume that the potential risk-takers will be simply coming to Jamaica to place wads of cash in our island without doing their homework. One of the main areas of focus has to be the approach of our unions and their bosses, both of which need major reform. The second will be security, especially as it applies to wholesale extortion of the business and workers.

PNP, JLP, business community and the Chinese are interested.

I suppose I should not be too surprised that many Jamaicans have been asking, “What is a dry dock?” One, our education system is peopled by teachers who themselves need training, and two, Jamaica’s Internet penetration rate is hovering at only about 20 per cent.

In its simplest form, a dry dock is a physical facility for doing routine maintenance, repairs and retrofitting to ocean-going vessels, that is, ships. In Dr Cole’s proposed dry dock facility, it is planned that vessels up to the new mega-sized carriers will be accommodated right here in Jamaica when the facility in Jackson Bay is developed.

A dry dock of the sort proposed would be essentially a deep-water facility with locks, water pumps and huge cranes. A vessel would enter the lock, the lock would be closed and drained and the vessel would end up sitting in special ‘blocks’. At that stage the vessel could be cleaned of, say, barnacles, stripped of paint, repainted, while repairs, retrofitting or upgrades would be done above.

But it encompasses a whole lot more. First, there would have to be rail lines to Vernam Field, opening it up for interface with a huge warehousing facility. There is more than the possibility that a new container terminal could be opened up to complement the one now at Newport West.

Vessels coming in for dry dock would either be ‘in ballast’, that is, empty or, in the case where vessels have run into problems at sea and come in under tow, there would be the need to offload the cargo, hence the huge warehousing facilities that would be required.

There would also be a need for bunkering and retrofitting. With Jamaica’s large stock of labourers, there would also be the need for more skilled workers such as managers, engineers of all types, stevedores, welders, metal fabricators, painters, port operators.

For those with the foresight, it is more than likely that that section of the island could be transformed into a huge industrial city which could see additional linkages with the push for a new rail service to come back on stream.

Jamaica could benefit from the additional development of the Maritime College, and it is Dr Cole’s vision that a maritime Chair at either UTech or UWI Mona be set up as a hub in the Caribbean. In 10 years of operation the standard employment could be in the region of 4,000 to 5,000, with the potential for huge multipliers in linkages.

As Dr Cole said to me months ago, “The mountains overlooking the port are rich with limestone, and a vibrant new industry could develop there right alongside rail lines and a port. Who knows? A new light and power company could set up business in the region specifically to power the new industrial city.”

The project concept visualises a power-generating system, the revitalisation of the railroads and road network, storage facilities, potable water supply system, free-zone activities and airfreight facilities utilising Vernam Field. The supply of suitable accommodation facilities would also be required for both workers of the dry dock and guest crews of the ships being repaired.

Is Anthony Hylton the man to carry the ball?

With Minister Hylton showing huge interest in the project, another minister of government asked Dr Cole to give him specifics of it.

Recently, in speaking of that matter to a Government insider, one said, “Hylton talks a good talk but I am not so sure he is the action person the PNP Administration wants on this.”

When I pointed out to him that I had had personal, informal discussions with the minister and that I was convinced that he is fully on board, the person suggested that we discuss something else.

In recent weeks the Jamaica Stock Exchange has invited Dr Cole to make a presentation, ‘Dry dock for Jamaica: Why not?’ at its prestigious conference at the Jamaica Pegasus, planned for January 22- 24, 2013.

In addition, Cole has met with Opposition Leader Andrew Holness who was ‘awed’ by the proposals and the interest being shown.

In Dr Cole’s letter to the opposition leader he wrote, “I have to confess that I was somewhat apprehensive of what kind of person and reception I would encounter during my recent meeting with you. Thankfully, I was very impressed by your simple and natural humility, and the way we quickly related to each other at the ordinary human level which I feel sure could form the basis for future relationship.

“The magnitude of the captioned project, the wealth/jobs creation, and the industrial and socio-economic transformation which this mega project promises for Jamaica are such that:

I. Both dominant political parties would have an unprecedented opportunity to establish a bipartisan support committee to urgently move this mega project to implementation.

II. Any exclusion of the Opposition from this mega project, willingly or otherwise, will create the potential for a single-party dominance and undesirable multiple terms in office which may not favour the democratic process, or the nation’s best interest.

III. A bipartisan involvement will represent the necessary and sufficient national stability, investor confidence and comfort zone that mega projects such as this warrant.

IV. Our moment is now — especially in view of the imminent completion of the Panama Canal expansion. No other project in the foreseeable future has the potential and capacity for Jamaica’s “quantum leap” from the seemingly unending stranglehold of the IMF, to sustainable and substantial growth and prosperity.

V. Our moment is now!!! TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE. Jamaica has only itself to blame if Cuba runs with this project following the lifting of the embargo by President Obama as his “second-term historic legacy”.

VI. The JLP needs to make a move as a matter of urgency, and make a public statement ahead of the critical meeting of the Jamaica Stock Exchange to be held January 22-24, 2013, during which the Government’s commitment and involvement will be publicly unveiled.

“I will be willing to address your special select committee (as you suggested) as soon as it’s convenient for you.”

Finally, Dr Cole has just recently met with the Chinese connection in Jamaica and they have signalled investment interest in the proposals.

As Cole likes to remind Jamaica, time is not on our side. We need a truly transformative project in Jamaica, one that can break the back of our crippling economic status of the last 50 years. If President Obama makes good on his promise to end the economic embargo of Cuba, and if Cuba seizes the opportunity to build out a huge dry dock facility like the one proposed for Jamaica, we are plainly dead.

We are right in the sea lanes, perfectly positioned to make this happen. The nearest dry dock facility to us is in the US Gulf.

With the Government, the Opposition, the business community and potential Chinese investors on board, there ought to be nothing to stop this project. Nothing whatever!

observemark@gmail.com