NEW HEAD of Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), Sancia Bennett Templer, has been tasked with converting the stellar athletics performances by the country's athletes in Berlin, Germany, into tangible investments.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said that Bennett Templer, who takes up the job of president of JTI on Monday, has been told to go the extra mile to secure investments, especially on the back of the golden results in Berlin.

Speaking at a Gleaner Editors' Forum yesterday, Golding expressed disappointment that there has been a lack of forward planning to capitalise on the country's golden success.

"You look at the success coming out of Berlin and I am less than satisfied that we have put in place enough to identify the areas in which this could be a means of investment growth," the prime minister said.

Mercurial sprinter Usain Bolt, with world-records runs in the 100 and 200 metres, led a massive showcase of Brand Jamaica at the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

Jamaica won 13 medals inclusive of seven gold to place second behind the United States.

Investment leads

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Golding said that Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Sports Minister Olivia Grange, who both travelled to Berlin to witness Jamaica's super performances, are taking back some investment leads.

"What we need to attach to that now is some business strategy. There are some internationally known brands that, we figure, when merged with our own international brand, which is both Jamaica and Bolt, can do things," Golding said.

"I think we should have been more prepared than we are but it is not late. That 9.58 (100 metres world record) and that 19.19 (200 metres world record) are still very fresh and we have to take advantage of them," Golding said.