The Gleaner editorials over the past few years have advocated for an updated industrial policy to drive the next phase of Jamaica's economic development. When the current National Industrial Policy (NIP) was published in 1996, Jamaica was similarly at an inflection point in its economic life - it had just culminated a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and planned to materially advance its development prospects in the new millennium after structural adjustment.

Three decades later, the broad contours of the policy are still applicable to our circumstances - infrastructure development, social and environmental policy development, investment promotion, enhancing competitiveness and public sector reform. What has changed, however, is the nature of the industries that should be targeted to derive higher value-added economic output.

Among other things, the industrial policy aimed to stimulate investment, productivity and growth in the economy through a strategic, export-oriented focus on five primary industry clusters - manufacturing; agriculture and agro-processing; tourism and entertainment; information and communications technology; and mining and minerals processing.