THE emergence of a complex and competitive business environment influenced by globalisation creates challenges to developing countries competing in a hypercompetitive environment. As such, regional governments must assist the citizens in developing regions to best utilise logistics networks in an effort to benefit the nation economically.

Jamaica, in particular, can benefit economically from the modern road networks. Notably, this Caribbean country has the infrastructural grids in place to benefit from logistics network. The academic institutions, roads, and the citizenries’ abilities are complimentary factors that position Jamaica ahead of many countries.

Academic Institutions

The University of Technology, Jamaica; University of the West Indies; Caribbean Maritime Institute; Caribbean Institute of Technology; Caribbean Aerospace College; and the Caribbean Aviation Training Center, among others are offering globally recognised courses that are an important centerpiece to further cement the country on the world stage.

These institutions contribute significantly to the knowledge base required in preparing some of the sharpest minds that can add value to the supply chain and logistics services. A cursory glance at the various courses taught at the universities and colleges, the demand for the graduates, and positions held by graduates in recognised industries signifies that Jamaica has an advantage over other Caribbean counterparts to develop supply chain and logistics management network experts.

The diversified offerings strengthen the position of the country to achieve economic growth by utilising the fertile minds to create an economic space in Jamaica.

Challenges

Despite Jamaica’s competitive niche in developing the requisite knowledge needed to undertake some of the complex challenges the region encounters, integrating the various networks with the communities lags behind. The supply chain is obfuscated and multifaceted, engendering uncertainty concerning logistics operations and its contribution to the country’s economic development.

In essence, supply chain and logistics operations will ominously challenge developing nations trying to stay afloat in a hyper-competitive globalised milieu. Governments in the Caribbean region, confronted with challenges as seen in Jamaica, must rely on developing natural resources to benefit economically from logistics operations.

Unique in all this is Jamaica’s super highway that is secondary to none in developed economies. The various highways bypass many rural communities that can benefit economically and socially from the tourists and Jamaicans who traverse the roadways. These countrysides have natural fruits, vegetables, farming produce, and warm rural folks with abilities to contribute to the economic development of the nation if opportunities exist for commercialising the indigenous products.

The Economic and Sector Study Series (2003) describes Jamaica’s productivity and competitiveness as relatively low. In addition, the report cited inadequate government support, bureaucratic red tape, crime and violence, and social factors as major challenges.

Twelve years later, the World Bank Group, Doing Business 2015 Fact Sheet: Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted regulatory reforms Jamaica took in an effort to place the country in a competitive position for doing business. The World Bank Group report, ‘DB2015 Ease of Doing Business’ ranked Jamaica at number 58 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Cynics will readily point to the various challenges without recognising the positives. Spending more time on accentuating the positives can help change the mind frame of the populace to place emphases on embracing positivity.

In a careful and educating letter to the editor in

The Gleaner Sarah Wilks decries the phrase “poor people of Jamaica”. She noted the frequency with which politicians who are at the forefront of policymaking, media personnel, and educators consistently use the term. Calling ourselves poor creates a position of bankruptcy in mind and spirit, and interferes with our abilities to do creative things.

Dr Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s social entrepreneur, for example, founded the Grameen Bank on the concept of microcredit and microfinance. Dr Yunus developed a microcredit and microfinance framework geared at empowering Bangladeshis who are too poor for established credit to qualify for financial credit. The fact is, Jamaica must develop creative approaches that will propel the country to higher levels. Leaving behind rural communities is a colossal mistake.

Road Networks

The history of the road network in Jamaica was for arterial roads to pass through communities and town centres. In this regard, communities and town centres benefited economically from the spending by commuters, who had no choice but to negotiate the meandering passageways.

Towns centres and communities on roadways such as those going through Old Harbour, May Pen, Mandeville, Ewarton, Mount Rosser, Faith’s Pen, and Moneague, just to name a few, are telltale signs of logistics infrastructure effects on communities and ultimately the citizenries. Back then, travellers could look forward to enjoying the indigenous cuisine, fruits, and juices carefully prepared by the natives who earned a living from the commercial activities along these corridors.

The super highways are laudable projects of successive Jamaican governments and a mammoth contribution to the infrastructural development for the country. Aside, the new road networks wipe out many communities’ economic activities. Within the affected communities are many entrepreneurs waiting for opportunities to exploit and unleash their skills.

For instance, Dr Henley Morgan relocated his swanky corporate office from New Kingston’s commercial business district to settle in socially challenged Trench Town. This community has numerous challenges that various governments have failed to establish a partial fix. To date, Dr Morgan, his staff, and the people in Trench Town are benefiting economically and socially from the unparalleled strategic move. The starting point for Dr Morgan was the will to make a difference without money. The lesson here is that integration works for the benefit of the majority. Shutting out communities has negative effects on the people. The affected villagers then become breeding grounds and havens for criminal activities. The ill effects of criminal actions are taking a serious toll on Jamaicans’ way of life.

Economic Benefits of Integration

Integrating the road network with the rural communities for the island to benefit economically from the supply chain is incumbent on the Government and the technocrats. James Paul, the president of the Barbados Agricultural Society laments the agrarian farmers’ demise in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

The exponential growth in economic activities eludes us in the distance, and we seem unable to navigate a sustainable path for ourselves. A suggested first step for Jamaica is to integrate the communities with highways by building rest stops at strategic locations along the super corridors.

Rural community folks should and must have priority options to lease and operate the rest stops. The funding for the rest stops should be from the Jamaican Government. These shops and restaurants are no gifts. The operators must pay or risk breaching their contractual obligations.

Michael Lipton’s book,

Why Poor People Stay Poor: Urban Bias in World Development, argued that growth and development in Third World countries has little economic influence on mass poverty. Lipton’s thesis criticised resource allocation towards the agricultural sector despite 65 per cent of developing countries being agriculture-dependent.

Jamaica’s policy towards agriculture is no exception. Governments have a tendency to focus on urban development and ignore rural communities which result in further impoverishing of the people and an exodus of the skilled and educated ones.

Jacinthe Bessière (2002), for example, argued that farm produce is an economic means by which a country can benefit from tourism dollars. The Jamaican Government needs to open an avenue for rural communities to benefit from tourism dollars by having more rural folks engaged in producing crops and having avenues for sales.

Bessière noted that traditional food and cuisine is a tourist attraction. Jamaica has what it takes to attract tourists using our cuisine. The diversity with which we prepare dishes that are tasty and healthy should not be put on the back burner. I recall spending a week at Club Caribbean some time ago and at breakfast one morning, ackee and salt fish was on the menu. That particular morning, I gave my advantage position in the queue for visitors who flocked the line to get a serving of the tasty national dish. Tourists commute to and fro between the major town centres such as Kingston, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay on a daily basis. The opportunity here is to have rest stops that offer Jamaican cuisine along the modern highways. I am not advocating for shacks. Our thought process should focus on regulated types restaurants and bars.

Preparing the substructure

Logistics and supply chain managers in conjunction with the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) and the Tourism Product Development Company should get busy factoring out how best to satisfy commuters appetite with Jamaica’s products. The agencies could start with streamlining the growing of crops in the communities utilising, for example, greenhouse techniques that will ensure constant supply of marketable crops.

Rural folks are the ones hardest hit by the 21st century conduits. As such, it is fair that the people within the confined communities benefit from the integration. Spin-off effects are janitorial jobs, transportation jobs, security, and clerical positions.

The Scientific Research Council, for example, could embark on helping the youngsters in rural settings develop juices from our otaheiti apples, naseberry, pineapples, soursop, and mangoes carefully prepared with pungent lingering ginger taste. Visitors to the island would enjoy our home-grown produce prepared with our local expertise and flair; think menu items such as roasted yam, roasted breadfruit, ackee and salted fish, fried and escovietch fish with spicy scotch bonnet peppers. Jamaica has much to offer, let the planning process start with the communities in mind.

The economic benefits, not measured in this article, are on the table in an effort to commence a discussion. Travellers’ data for a more analytical feasibility study could start with the number of vehicles presently travelling along the highways. In addition, RADA is capable of supplying production data within the targeted communities. Hazarding a guess, a lot of the production in the communities goes to waste. The capabilities are within Jamaica’s scope to make better use of the island’s human and other resources to our economic benefit.

Dr Owen O Roach received holds a doctorate of business adminstration in global operations and supply chain management from Capella University. He is a member of Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society and works as an adjunct at Techni-Pro Institute and Siena Health College. Send comments to the Observer or ooliverroach@gmail.com.