I welcome former Senator Delano Franklyn’s’ contribution to what I hope will evolve into a constructive dialogue on ‘Nation-building’ resulting from my article, ‘The Other Side Of The Truth’.

Nothing is more important to our nation’s advancement than the stimulation of rapid growth. As every athlete knows, refreshing the memory of past victory spurs the psyche to achieve greater success. I therefore invite Mr Franklyn and our fellow Jamaicans to review some of our finest achievements.

Whereas my first article focused on the history of Jamaica’s economy, this week I present a more fulsome list of contributions made by JLP Administrations to the building of our nation.

I must, however, begin by setting the record straight on an impression given by the former senator. I did in fact acknowledge “the institution of important social legislation” which took place under the Michael Manley Administrations of the 1970s. It is not my intention to rewrite history as truth is the only foundation on which we may construct useful debate and sound decision-making.

I must also make it clear that, contrary to Mr Franklyn’s assertion, economic achievements, while critical, are not all-important to me. In fact, so important are ‘quality of life’ issues to me that I routinely make the link between ‘growth’ and ‘a better standard of living for all’ in my speeches.

In a recent message, for example, I noted: “For whilst the attainment of economic targets is important, nothing can replace the primacy of our goal to achieve an improved quality of life for every Jamaican.”

The contribution made by the party founded by Sir Alexander Bustamante has, indeed, been multi-faceted. So, again, for the sake of our children, for students of history, and for everyone, I take the opportunity of recounting ‘the other side’ of the JLP’s contribution: the creation and establishment of some of Jamaica’s most important and enduring national institutions.

As you review the list below, I encourage you to notice how “well-rounded” a contribution it has been, with impressive entries under a range of headings from “Financial System” to “Human Rights and Justice”.

Notice, too, how many programmes have been established to encourage citizens with limited resources to develop themselves such as the Students’ Loan Bureau, while others like the Self-Start Fund act as feeder programmes for larger institutions like Jampro.

It is also important to recognise organisations like the Jamaica Mortgage Bank and the EXIM Bank which complement important institutions upon which our entire financial system is anchored, such as the Bank of Jamaica and the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

Finally, I encourage you to observe the enduring nature of these institutions. An unfortunate aspect of our political culture has been

the ‘tearing down’ and replacement of institutions which have served the country well, for no other reason than that they were established by another regime.

It is therefore a monument to the genius of Sir Alexander Bustamante, the Rt Hon Edward Seaga, and the late Rt Hon Hugh Shearer that so many institutions created by them still exist today. In fact, so important are they in the lives of Jamaicans that most are content to engage their services without knowing their history.

Fortunately, this self-defeating habit has become a thing of the past with administrations now focusing their efforts on building capacity in existing institutions. For example, this Administration has either recapitalised or significantly expanded the number of beneficiaries under the PATH Programme, CHASE and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) which has come in for special recognition by the World Bank. All three were established by the previous PNP Administration and have rightly come to be regarded as valuable Jamaican institutions.

Finally, more than anything, it is my hope that Mr Franklyn and others will recognise the strong correlation that exists between “institution-building” and “economic growth”. In other words, our two richest periods of institution-building coincided with Jamaica’s two golden eras of growth — the 1960s and the 1980s. We must make this serve as a powerful lesson to us.

For the sooner we are able to restore our beloved Jamaica to a path of robust growth, the sooner we will be able to fund a 21st-century programme of development and transformation. Let us not defer our good. Let us be inspired by the long list of our collective achievements.

Nothing is more important at this juncture of Jamaica’s economic development than the acceleration of our rate of growth. It is, without a doubt, the key to unlocking much-needed investment in so many areas — human, social and cultural.

In this regard, the Jamaica Labour Party’s record of achievements over the decades stands tall. I encourage Mr Franklyn to put forward an account of his party’s achievements to educate and inspire us all.

My next article will present the impressive list of accomplishments of this Administration over the past 3 1/2 years.

Some insitutions established by JLP administrations:

Financial System

Bank of Jamaica; Jamaica Stock Exchange; Jamaica Mortgage Bank; EXIM Bank; Comprehensive Tax Reforms; Jamaica Unit Trust; Jamaica Development Bank; National Development Bank; Agricultural Credit Bank.

Industry and Commerce

Bureau of Standards; Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation; Jamaica National Investment Promotion Agency; Jampro; Garmex; Self Start Fund; LEAP (Learning For Earning Programme); Solidarity Programme.

Education and Human Resource Development

Rebuilding of hundreds of elementary schools during the 1940s to allow for indoor teaching; First Jamaican police officers and nursing sisters appointed under Sir Alexander Bustamante; HEART Trust-NTA; Police Academy; Students’ Loan Bureau; 59 secondary schools and 126 primary schools built, 1962- 1972; College of Agriculture — first school offering degree programme in agriculture; Administrative Reform Programme (ARP) for fundamental Civil Service reforms.

Human Rights & Justice

BITU, Jamaica’s largest trade union; Equal pay for women in the Public Service; Postmistresses allowed to get married without having to resign their positions; Office of The Contractor General.

Arts, Culture and Heritage

Jamaica’s Flag and National Anthem; Order of National Hero established; Marcus Garvey named first national hero; Jamaica Cultural Development Commission; Jamaica Festival; National Craft Development Agency, forerunner to Things Jamaican; Devon House first restored and opened to the public; National Heroes Park; Cultural Training Centre; Port Royal Museum; Arawak Museum; National Arena; National Heritage Week; Jamaica Journal.

Welfare

100 Village Programme to upgrade and promote community centres, launched in the 1960s; National Insurance Scheme; Food Stamp Programme; National School Feeding Programme.

Infrastructure

Massive Gully-Building Programme to control flooding which caused hundreds of deaths in poorer communities each year from which it earned the name “Gully Government”; Urban Development Corporation; Port Bustamante; Downtown Kingston Redevelopment; Ocho Rios Waterfront (Turtle Beach) Reclamation and development; Montego Bay Waterfront reclamation; Negril Development (Bloody Bay); Portmore Town Centre; Metropolitan Parks and Markets.

Tourism

Jamaica Tourist Board; Air Jamaica established in 1969, showing profit in early years; Jamaica Conference Centre.

Health

UWI Medical Faculty; Cornwall Regional Hospital – first multi-disciplinary hospital constructed since UHWI; Bustamante Hospital for Children; May Pen Hospital; Savanna-la-Mar Hospital.

Communications

Jamaica Information Service; Media Divestment Programme to establish small private radio stations and church television broadcast licences established in 1988.

— Audley Shaw is the minister of finance and the public service