'We are way behind ...' - Business Leaders on Jamaica at 50

Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

Seventy-year-old Hardware merchant Basil Johnson wants Jamaica to position itself so that it can achieve true economic independence in the next 50 years.

"I believe in getting our people involved in the day-to-day commercial activities of the country, because we are not doing well at that right now. We are way behind," said the managing director of Discount Lumber and Hardware.

"All the small businesses in the country are being run by the Chinese and we are a country of high unemployment. Why did we allow that to happen? I don't know."

Being one of the most successful self-made businessmen in the island, Johnson is a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship.

Johnson is disappointed that more educational opportunities were not available to empower and transform the lives of Jamaicans over the past 50 years.

"I think the most important thing we could have achieved was the development of our own people educationally. We have done fairly well, but I think we can do much more."