Jamaica may get a series of private US investments

Jamaica is on the verge of getting more than just tourist dollars from the United States. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a US government agency trying to encourage private American investment in developing countries, is considering a series of projects expected to pump up to $520 million into the Jamaican economy during the next few years.

The corporation is ''one of the major tools'' of President Reagan's policy to encourage third world development through business investment rather than direct government aid.