Creating the climate for entrepreneurship THE EDITOR, Sir: I AM a Jamaican living in the United States. I am a college graduate and am very ambitious. I visit Jamaica at least once a year and my ultimate dream is to establish a viable business there. However, there are some concerns that I do have regarding the current economic and political climate of the country. Firstly, I do not think that the government makes any sensible provisions for entrepreneurs. I speak to many different Jamaicans here in the States that would love to return home and establish themselves by owning and operating their own ventures. The government should establish a loan programme that would allow us to borrow money at lower interest rates and then provide some tax relief that would incubate these start-ups. One of the biggest problems with the Jamaican economy is that there is an absence of a thriving middle-class. In any successful economy, there is a large and prosperous middle-class that fosters the purchases/exchanges of goods and services and own businesses that employ from the local workforce. In Jamaica, there are basically two classes: the upper and the lower. Secondly, it would be wise for any party that is in power to establish a czar that is dedicated to prospecting Jamaicans abroad that wish to return home and start a business. This person should then further help by allocating and deploying the resources necessary for the start-ups to get going. If the political leaders and Cabinet members continue to ignore the talents that are waiting to be discovered, then let me urge some of our more successful private citizens to form venture capital companies. There are many Jamaicans with the resources that if pooled together, can get the engine up and running. If not, Jamaica will lose a lot of its bright people to a First World country that needs us less than our country does. I cannot emphasise strongly enough that there are many young, bright, educated Jamaicans in the US with brilliant ideas that would love nothing more than to return home and help to build their beautiful country in one way or another. If anyone would like to help form a symposium on this subject so that we can brainstorm and form suitable solutions, feel free to contact me by e-mail set out below. I am etc., DESALINI DENNISTON Des4172@aol.com Via Go-Jamaica
|
