Jamaica will soon have a development and investment manual, aimed at enhancing the country's prospects for attracting new investments and furthering economic growth.

Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall announced in his Throne Speech yesterday that the manual will guide developers, professionals, private sector individuals, civil society and government officials who require relevant information. Such information, he said, will pertain to planning, environment, subdivision of land, infrastructure, mining, tourism, agriculture "and other development activities and standards".

The manual will comprise seven volumes and 55 sections, developed jointly by the Cabinet Office, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and USAID.

Professor Hall asserted that this manual was important to the process of "facilitating greater economic growth" through an efficient development approval process.

Administrative changes

The process will be further enhanced, he said, through legislative and administrative changes. These will include "streamlining of the division of labour between various agencies in Central and Local Government, delegation of appropriate authority to the executives of approval bodies".

The Government, he said, would ensure that the process of approval is objective and not subject to "regulatory capture" by "either those who favour approvals of development proposals or those who are against them".