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We are confident that our 10 Point Plan for
Economic Growth and Job Creation will
generate real expansion of the job market and
sustained growth in the long term.
Here is a closer look at how we anticipate our
strategic approach working.
The Growth Triangle
Our “Growth Triangle” refers to the close
connections between housing construction,
water, and energy.
Housing construction means both jobs and
improved living conditions for home owners
and residents.
It is however, heavily dependent on two main
inputs which are currently expensive and short
in supply: water and energy. Solving the water
problem and the energy problem will also lead
to more jobs;
We therefore propose to address them as
interconnected activities: create jobs in
supplying water and energy sustainably, and
the improved conditions and costs will lead
to an increase in housing construction and
development, and thus more jobs. The costs
of water catchment and energy saving facilities
will be rolled up with the mortgage and not
borne up front by the homeowner.
Here are some of the specific activities which
are required to address the water and energy
needs:
Water
To reduce the strain on water supply, each
house must harvest its rainwater; this requires
gutters, barrels or tanks and proper filtration to
be installed—hands-on work that can be done
with a little training.
FOCUS ON
JOB CREATION
Training and employing people to do these installations could create over 5,000 jobs
in the first year of implementation, growing to 10,000 after 5 years.
In addition, many retrofits also drive other small improvements such as casting of
concrete bases to hold tanks; repairs to roofs and plumbing, driving business to
handymen in the community.
By the third year, home owners would have seen significant reduction in their
consumption from the main supply; would spend less to purchase water; and the
central supplies would be able to reach many more homes, farms and businesses
as a result.
Solar Energy
In Jamaica we are lucky to have long hours of sunlight which can be converted to
thermal energy (heat, for water heating) and electrical energy.
Government tax credits and incentives to help businesses to purchase the equipment
means that more businesses can pay for the installations.