We have, in this space, often advocated big thinking in terms of investment projects and government policies as the country continues its quest for greater development and improvement of the lives of our citizens.

In recent times we have seen a shift towards that thinking within the Government, the most current case being the Administration’s intention, as announced by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke last November, to table legislation, by March this year, paving the way for Jamaica to attract increasingly wealthy, job-generating billionaire investors.

Minister Clarke, who was addressing the Invest Jamaica 2022 Business Conference in Montego Bay, explained that the Government would be seeking to amend the Large Scale Projects and Pioneering Act to make it operational. This is an Act that aims to attract investments of US$1 billion or more to Jamaica.

As we said at the time, we look forward to the tabling of those amendments and hope that our legislators will examine them thoroughly to ensure an improvement in the investment climate here.

Additionally, lawmakers should not be swayed by the usual naysayers as the people who wish this country well and want to see improvements in the lives of Jamaicans will appreciate the value of thinking and acting big.

Last week, we saw the launch of a project that, we believe, is in keeping with that mindset of big thinking.

The German Ship Repair Jamaica (GSRJ) shipyard project, we are told, will place Jamaica into the lucrative global ship repair industry. The US$37-million project, which is being developed on the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway stretch of Kingston Harbour, in partnership with Sagicor Group Jamaica and other local entities, is expected to be completed between October and November this year.

The facility will have dry docking capability for vessels up to 20,000 gross tonnage and up to 215 metres in length. It will provide a range of structural, mechanical, electrical and hydraulic services for customers from the pool of 3,000 commercial vessels that come to the island’s ports annually.

Of significant and encouraging note is the information shared with this newspaper by Colonel Martin Rickman, the GSRJ’s chief executive officer, that already they have a booking for dry dock in November. The customer is the owner of a heavy load carrier named Mexican Giant.

Work on that type of ship, Colonel Rickman told us, will generate earnings of approximately US$500,000, and the job would last for about two weeks.

Additionally, he said, the facility will provide employment, at very high standards, to at least 100 people who are now being trained at HEART/NSTA Trust and Caribbean Maritime University.

Colonel Rickman also pointed to the fact that three of the world’s leading shipping industry companies — Harren and Partners Ltd and Kloska Group, both based in Germany; and Hat-San Shipyard from Turkey — are also partners on the project.

Their involvement, he said, will bring value to Jamaica’s entry into this sector as they are equipped with high-level, experienced experts who, we are sure, would not have approved their collaboration had they not seen the benefits of doing so.

This is a project most worthy of support and will no doubt redound to the country’s benefit. We wish it well.