NOW that most Jamaicans are aware that we are truly in a crisis, there is a realisation that our house was not in order which was exacerbated by the fallout in the world economy. We are in the most part aware that we have to take more bitter medicine.

Vision 2030

We are reluctantly taking the bitter medicine but to what end? When does Jamaica, Jamaican citizens begin to see the light of day? We are vaguely aware of Vision 2030, the Vision for Jamaica, what we don’t get is how the bitter medicine takes us to Vision 2030. Hold on, but what is Vision 2030? How many Jamaicans are aware that the PIOJ begun work around crafting a Vision 2030 under the previous PNP administration which was completed under the current JLP administration. What do we look like when we get to Vision 2030? Will we be a wealthier country with our citizens earning more? Which industries will be generating this wealth? What will our debt levels look like? What will our education and health systems look like? Do we have targets for Vision 2030?

Milestones to Vision 2030

Do we have milestones for 2012, 2016, 2020 etc plans, initiatives, measures, targets which take us there? Can we measure our progress against these milestones and set targets?

Hopelessness

I am sure that 99 per cent of Jamaicans have no clue as to Vision 2030 and how we get there. This is a serious gap and therefore there is a great sense of hopelessness in our country. Everything feels like knee-jerk reactions hence the importance of crisis management.

Don’t get me wrong, hard decisions need to be taken as we have put them off for too long and now we have run out of time and options and have to act.

Information Gap

Jamaica has a serious information gap. We don’t know where we are going, we do not have shared goals. Our leaders from all segments of society aren’t clear as to where we are going. What industries are we educating our youth for? Which industries are we directing our entrepreneurial energy and capital into? How is the Government incentivising these areas?

Will we be focusing on manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, and agro-processing? Have we decided on what niche segments we will be targeting? Tourism is a given, however is it the high end? What are we doing to preserve our key natural resources to ensure that we can maintain a beautiful product?

What is the plan for energy? How and where and in what time frame are we diversifying our energy sources. What is the plan for wind, solargas, coal and oil as energy sources?

Shared Plan

As one of our leading business men Richard Byles said: “Jamaica needs a plan”. I will go one step further –Jamaica needs a shared plan, one where all Jamaican citizens understand and buy into the plan and how it impacts their individual lives. A plan that

all Jamaicans can prepare themselves to participate in, students, workers, professionals, entrepreneurs, civil servants and politicians all working towards Vision 2030.

Of course there will be bumps along the way and we (Jamaica) may need to haul and pull up and re-evaluate and make strategic changes but we will all understand these adjustments.

Political Maturity

Vision 2030 must be shared by all stakeholders including our political leaders. It must go through the rigour of political debate in order that our Parliament can sign off on it. Jamaicans are tired off the “tit for tat” politics which has not worked for us as a country. It would be a breath of fresh air for all of Jamaica if our politicians could grow up and really “PUT JAMAICA FIRST” so that Jamaica can manifest its true potential.

Keith Duncan is CEO of JMMB Group