Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sustainability in Jamaica
Act by providing guidelines that will enhance transparency and efficiency in the granting of
contracts. This ease is furthered by alternative methods of procurement, improved bidding, and
the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission. This law will separate the Commission
from the Office of the Contractor General. The act also criminalizes persons who are found to
have wrongly benefitted through means of public procurement. Finally, the law requires each
financial year for government entities to submit a procurement plan and reflect it in their budgets
(Linton, Bill to Modernize Public Procurement Tabled in the House).
The Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of 2014 seeks to consolidate the economic, legal,
and commercial framework of Jamaica. An important component of the law is it will allow
companies and individuals the opportunity to rehabilitate their financing before entering into
bankruptcy. Instead of solely resolving cases through means of liquidation, reorganization
provides an opportunity to preserve the organization and jobs while returning more money to
owed creditors. The act repeals and replaces the previous Bankruptcy Act to modernize the
country (Linton, House Passes Insolvency Act).
Infrastructure development and restructured traffic legislation have further impacted the
country. Jamaicas Road Traffic Act of 2014 repealed and replaced the 1938 Road Traffic Act to
modernize the regulation and safety of Jamaican roads. The law immensely increased the fines
for violations in order to intimidate motorists to obey the traffic laws as well as provided new
standards for holding a learners permit, new classifications of drivers licenses, restrictions on
the use of hand-held electronics while operating a motor vehicle, and greater jurisdiction for the
Island Traffic Authority (Road Traffic Act 2014). Legislation provided by the Road Traffic Act
compliments the current restoration of Jamaican roads.
of available land and famers. Cannabis, being a renewable resource, can be used in nearly every
industry. The cultivation of cannabis in Jamaica would stimulate the Jamaican economy by
providing employment, tax revenue, and export growth (Ministry of National Security,
Communications & Public Affairs).
Both marijuana and hemp offer large, open markets in the Jamaican economy. Medicinal
marijuana will provide tax revenue to the country and can improve the health of Jamaican
citizens. The usage of hemp is proven to be beneficial for both the economy and the
environment. Industrial hemp, with its wide range of uses, could become a crucial aspect to
Jamaican exports worldwide. A Jamaican organization, the Westmoreland Hemp and Ganja
Farmers Association (WHGFA), as of 2014, is preparing and educating Jamaican farmers for the
cultivation of cannabis. The WHFGA is establishing business models and advocates for safe and
fair regulation of the industry. The main goal of the association is to aid to benefit the Rastafari
and traditional farmers. United Cannabis is working with the country and its farmers to help
restore the purity of (Jamaican marijuana) strains and standardize the breeding process. With
this help, Jamaican cannabis will soon be ready for legal nationwide and international use
(Raabe). Currently, the United States imports US$550 million in hemp products per annum,
which has rapidly risen from US$36.9 million in 2013 (Cannavest Corp.). With legalization in
2015, there is a new, significant investment opportunity in Jamaica for the cultivation,
manufacturing, and exportation of cannabis for marijuana, hemp, and hemp products to be
explored.
Another act that has greatly impacted Jamaica recently has been the Electricity Act of
2015. The act is an energy policy designed to ensure that Jamaica achieves by 2030, a modern,
efficient, diversified, and environmentally sustainable energy sector. Regulation provided by
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this law promotes the use of renewable energy and calls for the modernization of the use of
electricity to push Jamaica toward prosperity. New standards for licenses and the generation of
electricity help to consolidate the energy sector. Jamaica relies heavily on outside sources to
import fossil fuels for domestic energy needs. By shifting the energy generation mix more
toward renewable energy, Jamaica will save money while simultaneously reducing their carbon
footprint. In 2010, 95 percent of the countrys energy generation came from the use of fossil
fuels. Vision 2030 seeks a long term goal for 70 percent non-oil-based supply (The Ministry of
Energy and Mining).
Jamaica continues to search for new methods of renewable energy in order to reach their
goal, making it a growing market with opportunity for innovation and investment. The country
provides the best clean energy resources, wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. Jamaica Public
Service (JPS), the sole distributor of electricity in Jamaica, signed a 20-year Power Purchase
Agreement with BMR Jamaica Wind Ltd.,Wigton Wind Farm, and WRB Enterprises/Content
Solar Ltd. The three companies will generate 78 MW of renewable energy to be contributed to
the national grid. At US$196 million, the collaboration will create, during construction alone
approximately 300 new jobs, to be completed at the end of 2015 (JPSOnline, "Historic Power
Purchase Agreements Signed between JPS and Renewable Energy Providers, including Jamaica's
First Solar Energy IPP). Scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2017, JPS will replace
units at the Old Harbour Bay Power Plant in St. Catherine with a 190 mega watt gas turbine. The
new plant is projected to be the most cost effective, flexible generation available to
economically integrate intermittent resources into the grid, enabling the Governments Energy
Policy to provide up to 20 percent of Jamaicas energy from renewable energy sources
(JPSOnline, JPS Committed to 190MW Plant). The plant will also reduce dependence on
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liquid fuels, such as diesel, to lower the cost of natural gas (Smtih-Edwards). Abundant green
technology and clean energy opportunities in Jamaica are gas power plants, combined cycle
power plants, biomass technologies. While solar and wind already have wide-spread usage
throughout the country, biomass technologies are on the rise in Jamaica. Biomass energy sources
in Jamaica are relatively unexplored and non-commercialized on the island, providing an open
market opportunity.
The renewable resources industry in Jamaica seems to provide the largest opportunity for
investment as of 2015. The country proves to be on the track to meeting the goals outlined in
Vision 2030 and becoming an ideal location for both living and doing business. An important
weakness to acknowledge is that the country has not yet met all their goals and is halfway
through their long-term development plan. However, the environmentally friendly market
opportunities offered by cannabis production and renewable energy are promising open markets
in Jamaica. New industries, legislation, and infrastructure are drastically reshaping the economic
and environmental climates of Jamaica.
Works Cited
Cannavest Corp. "President Obama Signs Federal Legislation Removing Barriers for U.S.
Industrial Hemp Cultivation." Nasdaq. GlobeNewswire, Inc., 10 Feb. 2014. Web.
18 Mar.
2015. <globenewswire.com>.
"Doing Business in Jamaica" Doing Business. World Bank Group, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/jamaica/>.
"Jamaica - Economic Indicators - Actual Data - Historical Charts." Economic Indicators.
IEconomics, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <ieconomics.com/jamaica>.
Jamaica. Government of Jamaica. Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2014. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. Houses of Parliament. Jamaica Information Service. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
<japarliament.gov.jm>.
Jamaica. Government of Jamaica. Road Traffic Act 2014. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Houses of Parliament.
Jamaica Information Service. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <japarliament.gov.jm>.
JPSOnline. "Historic Power Purchase Agreements Signed between JPS and Renewable Energy
Providers, including Jamaica's First Solar Energy IPP." Jamaica Public Service
Company.
<myjpsco.com>.
JPSOnline. "JPS Committed to 190MW Plant." Jamaica Public Service Company. Jamaica
Public Service Company, 6 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <myjpsco.com>.
Linton, Latonya. "Bill to Modernize Public Procurement Tabled in the House." Jamaica
Information Service. Jamaica Information Service, 31 July 2014. Web. 18 Mar.
2015.
<jis.gov.jm>.
Linton, Latonya. "House Passes Insolvency Act." Jamaica Information Service. Jamaica
Information Service, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <jis.gov.jm>.
Works Cited
Ministry of National Security, Communications & Public Affairs. "Contribution to the Debate on
the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) 2015 Act." Jamaica Information Service. Jamaica
Information Service, 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <jis.gov.jm>.
"National Works Agency." Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme. National Works
Agency, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <nwa.gov.jm>.
Patterson, Chris. "12,000 More Jamaicans To Get Employment Under JEEP." Jamaica
Information Service. Jamaica Information Service, 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Mar.
2015.
<jis.gov.jm>.
Raabe, Steve. "Denver Firm to Create "Ganja Cooperative" for Jamaican Pot Farmers." The
Denver Post. The Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<denverpost.com>.
Smith-Edwards, Alecia. "Cabinet Approves JPS Proposal to Construct Gas Turbine Power Plant."
Jamaica Information Service. Jamaica Information Service, 03 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Mar.
2015. <jis.gov.jm>.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining. "Jamaica's National Energy Policy 2009-2030." Securing
Jamaicas Energy Future (2009): n.p. 21 Oct. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
<ocs.mona.uwi.edu>.
"Welcome to Vision 2030 Jamaica." Vision 2030 Jamaica. Planning Institute of Jamaica, n.d.
Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <vision2030.gov.jm>.