The recent announcement that the Government intends to return its trade promotion arm to the original name of JAMPRO is really much ado about nothing. One could go further and call it an arrant waste of time.

Frankly, the wider society cares little about whether the agency is called Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI) or JAMPRO, as it was named in 1988 when it was created as a super agency via a series of mergers. People are far more interested in what such a move will cost taxpayers, especially since we are told that a consultant is now working through the specifics.

Karl Samuda, the minister of investment and commerce, says an informal survey found that people did not really recognise the name JTI. Once again the depth and range of public information on this matter is lacking. No details were forthcoming on when the survey was conducted, by whom and what the cost involved was.

So what if many people do not recognise the name JTI? People are far more concerned about the institutional achievements of the agency, which was created with the mandate to attract and grow direct investment into Jamaica. This agency was intended to be at the forefront of the national effort to promote and market Jamaica as a desirable investment destination.

Red tape

What would be more useful is for Mr Samuda to tell Jamaica how this agency intends to reach out to the Jamaican diaspora, for example, and encourage Jamaicans to invest in their homeland. We need to know what kind of support the agency will provide such prospective investors in reducing red tape in order to expedite investment.

What would be more useful is if Mr Samuda had announced that the agency is being boosted with the addition of a high-performance team of experienced business consultants who would provide business services and facilitate investment for interested parties.

Competition for the investment dollar is fierce, and the agency tasked with the job of attracting new business needs be nimble and creative. Much of the country's economic future is riding on an agency such as this, and we should stop wasting time with name changes and, instead, rev up the engines of growth and focus on projects that develop the infrastructure, create jobs and promote trade balance.

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