“And what are going to be the priorities of our government? Transparency and accountability in government and the elimination of corruption”

With the new revelations about Mannatt, Phelps and Phillips this week, I can only assume that transparency is officially dead and Jamaica has not changed course from the culture of broken promises made by politicians, despite a new driver being elected.

Ernest Hemmingway said that “the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them” and many Jamaicans have indeed trusted the current Prime Minister, even more-so some after his supposed apology that still left many unanswered questions. Why should anyone trust the individuals within the present administration who continue to attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the Jamaican people?

There is no doubt that the rabid loyalists will make up another defense and the disenfranchised will ask how resigning will change anything because there is no one any better to take the place of the PM.

I say that it is PITIFUL if a country cannot do better than this when it comes to leadership at the highest levels and if we cannot really find better, then it is a strike against every Jamaican because we clearly have not been vocal enough that better must indeed come and come now. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has a chance to come clean in full, expose the dark side of Jamaican politics and set a course for a new and better era for Jamaica.

At some point, people will be able to read that in Jamaica, politicians were finally held accountable and sent to jail. Will it be within my lifetime?

–
David Mullings

“They came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

I read, with deep sadness, an article in the Sunday Gleaner on July 11 that indicated that the present Government has yet to deal with the issue of children being held by the state in police lock-ups. This, after all the speeches and promise when the issue first came to light months ago. Are we to wait on a repeat of Armadale but only inside a lock-up this time? Do we as a people need to wait until a child is seriously injured by an adult inmate?

Naturally I expect some Jamaicans to make the excuse that “it happened under the PNP as well” but that is such a poor excuse that no one with common-sense need rebut it. We MUST deal with the issues we face TODAY and the PRESENT set of politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle need to deal with this matter with the urgency it commands. Do Jamaicans really want an international organization or media house to conduct an undercover investigation and reveal to the world how our government is trampling on the rights of people who cannot vote? Do we really want the world to lose even more confidence in our ability to uphold laws? Do we REALLY want to see a comparison to the Tivoli Gardens incursion and the lack of respect for the rule of law or human rights?

These are all easy stories to link together that would result in serious additional reputational damage for the country of Jamaica. For a nation that has been so battered and bruised by the events of the last 2 years, it is amazing that more Jamaicans do not stand up and pressure the current administration to deal with the issues that could cause further damage.

It is no wonder that Vybz Kartel can stand up and say that the politicians who ordered the state of emergency are criminals themselves and find an audience because here is a real case of politicians willfully breaking the law, again. The law may not be a shackle to some politicians but I expected better from those that are called “leaders” and especially those who declare themselves “Chief Servant”.

Can the Government find no location to temporarily retrofit to house these children? Can they find no volunteers willing to open their homes just like how foster parents welcome children? Is there really nothing that can be done? If our own “leaders” have no compassion for the future of Jamaica then hope is close to being extinguished because this is how you create more young people who hate the state.

As a concerned Jamaican, I am urging the politicians on both sides to immediately deal with this issue. Let us know what the challenges are and ask for help if you need it. We Jamaicans want a better future for the children of Jamaica, especially those inside police lock-ups illegally.

David Mullings

Before God and All mankind
I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart
The wisdom and courage of my mind,
The strength and vigour of my body
in the service of my fellow citizens

I promise to stand up for justice,
Brotherhood and Peace, to work diligently and creatively,
To think generously and honestly, so that,
Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship
and prosperity, and play her part in advancing the welfare
of the whole human race

As a child I never really understood it, I just recited it, but as I got older, I came to believe strongly in those words.

Today we face an International crisis and my beloved country is seen as a “captured state”: captured by crime and corruption, captured by mass disillusion and captured by self-deceit.

How can Jamaica really “play her part in advancing the welfare
of the whole human race” when we cannot trust the politicians of either party?

I have heard this slogan of “better mus’ come” used in Jamaica’s past but better has not come and will not come as long as there is or appears to be a strong link between criminals and politics, politicians who do not enjoy trust or confidence and citizens who keep fooling themselves that Jamaica is not as bad as it seems.

Barack Obama, someone our current Prime Minister looks up to, said “If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.”

It is ironic that Jamaica now finds itself clashing with the USA, Golding versus Obama.

I promised as a child to stand up for “justice, brotherhood and peace” in service of my country and I have taken that pledge seriously ever since I was 15 years old. The articles linked below indicate a country in crisis.

Golding’s About-Face

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100514/lead/lead4.html

Does Mr Golding Have The Moral Authority To Lead?

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100513/cleisure/cleisure1.html

Time to ship out, Prime Minister?

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Time-to-ship-out–Prime-Minister_7610799

PM: I sanctioned the Manatt initiative

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/PM-I-sanctioned-the-Manatt-initiative_7611577

Jamaicans rightfully wonder what can they do when you lose trust and confidence in BOTH political parties in a two-party system. Tribalism still exists and some people stupidly hold to this notion of “Power” or “Shower” at all levels of the society, regardless of economic means or level of education.

Some Jamaicans still defend criminality and make excuses for it.

Some Jamaicans defend politicians even when it is clear that they have not put the country first and have abrogated the trust of the public, even when they are shown to be hypocrites based on what they have said in the past.

This goes for politicians on both sides of the aisle, it has happened in both the PNP and the JLP.

Winston Churchill said “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things” and so I am criticizing the current and past crop of Jamaican politicians, as well as those Jamaicans who seek to hold back our country through their selfish actions, with the expressed hope that I play my little part in calling attention to the unhealthy state of things in Jamaica.

I end this by modifying a line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” – “Something is rotten in the State of Jamaica”

–
David Mullings
Jamaica Diaspora Future Leaders Representative – USA

“The number one priority to which we must direct our energies and resources is not on new highways, not even on education – as important as that is. It must be on tackling this monster of crime and violence. It can be done ! It requires political will and when we become the government we will make the treatment of crime the number one priority of our government.”

With the murder of my cousin in Linstead in February of this year and now the murder of my friend’s brother, Mark DeFreitas, this past Friday, I am calling on Prime Minister Bruce Golding to show this “political will” which he spoke of. Crime and especially the murder rate, increased under the PNP while the JLP kept saying it had a plan. A plan was drafted and the author of that plan was the Minister of National Security for a short period after the JLP won the 2007 elections.

Crime is now even worse and we are fast heading towards a record murder rate again. JLP, you have done no better than the PNP but you claimed to have a plan and that you could solve Jamaica’s crime problem in a period even shorter than your first term, I recall a claim of “two years” (correct me if I am wrong).

If it is expected that Jamaicans abroad will move back home, help others start businesses, encourage tourists to visit or if the government seriously intends to secure greater foreign direct investment in sectors other than tourism and bauxite mining, or if the government intends resident Jamaicans to feel comfortable starting small businesses and trusting the police, then it is IMPERATIVE that the crime plan be fully implemented. There is no point in getting lower interest rates, enacting tax reform, improving healthcare and reducing the costs of education if crime continues to increase.

A country cannot achieve its true potential with a crime rate like that of Jamaica and it is high time that our elected officials are held accountable. PNP, do NOT stand in the way of crime legislation (make sure it protects our rights but do not just oppose for opposition sake).

I want a safer Jamaica because that means it will be a better Jamaica. We were told to swallow the “bitter pill” of the IMF and we will have to swallow some bitter pills if we are to truly root out corruption and deal with crime effectively.

After those dark days however, the sun will shine on Jamaica again and we can truly be proud of the gold in our flag instead of wearing the black at so many funerals.

By David Mullings

People looking at Jamaica from the outside certainly wonder what was really being done about crime because the murders continue to climb. The PNP were able to do little, even with their imported police officers and the JLP promised a solution in 12 months that has clearly not materialized. For years the police have been saying that without the help of the community, they cannot reduce the crime rate and this is a great example of the community stepping up to the plate instead of blaming the police or the politicians.

One comment I recently read online said that the gunmen were not aliens that come and do their dirty deeds than take off again, they go back to homes in communities and no one says anything. That culture has helped fueled the problems we have today and it must change. At the same time, the documented corruption within the police force and lack of public trust would certainly hamper attempts to copy the Rose Heights efforts in many other communities.

What is so different about Rose Heights that the residents trust the police? What is so different about the attitude of these residents and how did they change?

Answer these questions and we now have a model to expand on in other communities.
–
David Mullings

The convening of this Joint S elect C ommittee is a pivotal recommendation coming out of   previous conferences and the Jamaican Diaspora  is generally  encouraged to see that these conferences are moving beyond          just being   talk shops.   We believe that there are a number of factors that are concurrent with the natural emotion of the desire for most Jamaican nationals, wherever they are positioned in the world, to have a voice (a vote) in their Government.

To this end, we offer the following for consideration:

(1) The single biggest problem the Jamaican Diaspora faces is that resident Jamaicans feel that those abroad think that they are better and smarter than those at home. It is quite unfortunate that many of the published letters    only served to affirm this emotion.

“the majority of Jamaicans residing in Jamaica are not voting for a better future for Jamaica, they are totally political activists, die-hearted Labourites and Comrades. The future of Jamaica is hardly ever a factor in their decisions.”

“the Jamaican diaspora should be intricately involved with the governance of Jamaica, given the advantage of, should I say, ‘A bird’s eye view’ on what is really happening ‘ina wi yard’.”

We believe that statements such as the above do not engender mutual respect between Jamaicans at home and abroad.

(2) Patrick Beckford, Board member representing the Northeast United States, in his submission on behalf of the full Board, pointed out that he had a team of students from Columbia University conduct research into countries that allowed citizens abroad to vote and how they executed it. He raised   question about constituencies since Jamaica is under the Westminster system where voters cast a ballot for their Member of Parliament for their constituency.  Consequently, under the present construct, our Government would have to reevaluate its constitutional structure to present voting options.

Some letter writers believe that this question is absurd:

“Every Jamaican, wherever they are in the world, has a link to a constituency where their family home or ties is, so I find this a very poor excuse.”

This would imply that even though a person is born and raised in the USA and their parents are from Spaldings, Clarendon, that child should be allowed to vote in that constituency when they turn 18 without ever having lived there, met the candidates or understand what that candidates party has done in the past?  We believe that this only makes for a             dangerous  and misguided voter, not an informed voter.
(3) Some writers naturally focus on the volume of remittances they send back to Jamaica, which contributes the second highest percentage to GDP.

“He or she who pays the piper should also call the tune (or at least a few tunes).”

The above quote alone speaks to one of the biggest problems in politics in Jamaica and many parts of the world – special interests that “buy” the Government and then control it.

While Jamaicans abroad do send back large volumes of money, remittances are not sent to the Government or sent because one is patriotic and wants a better Jamaica, they are sent to help    family members , period.  Nonetheless, we agree that this financial contribution is significant and certainly warrants greater engagement of the Jamaican Diaspora in our country’s development.

Lastly, there is a common phrase “no taxation without representation” but rarely do people flip it around and recognize their duties as voting citizens: “representation without taxation”.     As the Jamaican Diaspora, are we willing to declare all our  information to our  Jamaican Government and pay taxes on our worldwide income in exchange for the representation?

(4) Another writer referred to  the United States  of America as an example of a country that allows citizens overseas   to vote.

“I wonder if Beckford knows that he is living under a government in the United States voted in by Americans who live and voted in Brussels, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Russia, Jamaica, Nigeria and any other place where Americans live. That is the system Mr Beckford is living under comfortably in the US, yet that same system is not good for Jamaica.”

It is important to note that  the USA only allows “resident  ”  citizens to vote so these voters maintain residency in the USA no matter where they live, hint: “expatriates”  who file taxes.   Resident Jamaicans can vote in Jamaican elections, but they would have to travel    to Jamaica as we do not currently have an absentee ballot system.

Secondly, the Board’s submission presentations included the reasoning that unlike the USA with 300 million people and only a fraction outside the USA, Jamaica has MORE people outside of the country and could actually sway an election. The United States    and most of the other countries are not in the same position as Jamaica. Interestingly, Israel, with the most powerful Diaspora in the world, has not granted voting rights to Israelis living outside the country.

Further, Mrs. Folkes-Abrahams’, Board member from Canada,  noted the fact that research has shown that Canada has MORE VOTING AGE Jamaicans than the ENTIRE ISLAND!    That research makes it clear that Jamaicans outside of the country could really sway an election and force Jamaicans at home to live under an imposed party.

(5) The Board also noted that the USA has a law that allows any able-bodied males up to age 43 to be drafted for the armed services. If a draft was ever reinstated, a dual-citizen MP,  could be drafted if they were of age.

This is a fact that cannot be overlooked. The USA does not have a dual-citizen clause for people serving in their public positions because they have traditionally NOT recognized dual-citizenship status. That is slowly changing but no one knows how it will affect the laws in the future and if the USA will in fact begin to close the door to them.

In summary, we can all agree that as Jamaicans we hold a vested interest in the national development of Jamaica.  However, we cannot make summary presumptions on this discourse with Jamaicans at home without the proper context and engagement.  We are family and not better than our family at  home. This perception must change on the part of those abroad and those at home if we are to become a nation of 6 million.   Let us note clearly that

Jamaicans in the Diaspora who maintain a residence in Jamaica can already vote.     Remittances are financial assistance to family and friends, not patriotic donations to better the country and so should not be a factor in “calling the tune”.    Representation without taxation is grossly unfair.  We would like to ensure all Jamaicans in the Diaspora that the discourse is far from final and we expect to provide further submissions for consideration in Parliament. Most importantly, we are serious about ensuring that your voice materializes itself into the institutional vernacular of Jamaican governance in meaningful ways.  Please visit www.jamaicadiaspora.org to download a transparent copy of the submissions made to the Joint Select Committee on Diaspora Affairs for your full review and consideration.  We welcome further insights into this important conversation and hope that Jamaicans will not only continue to provide critiques, but also suggestions on deepening our engagement with the land of our birth and heritage.

Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board

Mrs. Celia Grandison-Markey – United Kingdom

Mr. Derek Douglas – United Kingdom

Mr. Patrick Beckford – United States of America

Mr. Wayland Richards – United States of America

Marlon A. Hill Esq. – United States of America

Mrs. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams – United Kingdom

Ms. Claudette Cameron-Steward – United Kingdom

Mr. Leo Campbell, Future Leaders, Canada

Mr. David Mullings, Future Leaders, United States

I have been thinking about ways to address some of the challenges our
beautiful country faces. One idea that I propose is based on what Canada has managed to do by legalizing and regulating a hemp industry.

Hemp is often confused with marijuana, both members of the Cannabis family of plants, but distant cousins. Hemp is one of the most useful plants, the seed of which are used to produce healthy food, nutraceuticals, and bodycare products and the stalk is starting to be processed into high performance fibre products, such as paper, textiles, biocomposites and building materials.

Canada has been growing industrial hemp seed since 1998 and a vibrant,
regulated industry has developed, supplying domestic and international
markets, the USA being the single largest importer of hemp from Canada. Jamaica’s climate has proven to be ideal for the cultivation of Cannabis and should be a comparative advantage in comparison to the Canadian climate. Hemp is a fast-growing, year-round crop that leads to the production of environmentally friendly products.

Jamaica has a better climate than Canada, more days of sunshine, massive amounts of available land, cheaper labour and close proximity to the USA.

There are obviously many Jamaican farmers who grow ganja in order to
survive so they possess the required knowledge to grow hemp and this new industry would allow them to become part of the formal economy. This new industry is positive for the Jamaican economy in a number of other ways:

1.  Employment – This industry creates jobs on farms, the distribution chain and the marketing chain. Companies founded to market the crop internationally will also generate jobs. The Democratic Presidential candidates in the USA have recently been talking about “green collar”jobs, jobs in renewable industries. A hemp industry in Jamaica creates green collar jobs for Jamaicans.

2.  Tax revenue – Licensing fees and income tax on companies and employees will generate real tax revenue for the Government. Jamaica has a severe problem collecting taxes and this industry helps to increase taxes collected from businesses and individuals.

3.  Export growth – Jamaica suffers from a trade deficit, importing more than it exports. This trade imbalance is not desirable and a vibrant hemp industry will provide a new export crop that generates foreign exchange and reduces our deficit.

4.  Economic growth – Jamaica can either reduce spending or grow the economy in order to climb out of the hole it is currently in. The latest budget increases spending (partly because of inflation of course) and while the Government will do its best to reduce expenditures by divesting some assets, growing the economy is still the best option. Growth is fuelled by productivity and industries.

Canada licensed about 3,259 hectares (8.050 acres) of hemp production in 2008.

The USA has weighed in on calls to legalize ganja in Jamaica but I have yet to see a hemp proposal put forth. Under Canadian regulations, hemp is classified as having less than 0.3% THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, making it unsuitable for drug and therapeutic purposes. If Canada could manage to facilitate a hemp industry, surely Jamaica should face no objection from the USA.

I am asking the Government of Jamaica to undertake a serious study of
the potential for a hemp industry in Jamaica based on Canada’s system.

Posted by
David Mullings

The Prime Minister recently announced, during an interview, that new
taxes would have to come on stream. This will happen almost immediately upon the signing of an agreement with the IMF and before the end of the fiscal year in order to close the J$10 billion gap between revenue and expenditure.

All economists agree that raising taxes during a downturn is usually
more harmful than beneficial. I dare say that increasing taxes at this
time also increases the tendency of people to attempt to avoid paying
taxes at all. Jamaica has a GCT and raising that from 16.5% is clearly
on the table. There are already ways to avoid GCT and I believe that
increasing this tax, while it does theoretically widen the tax net
because it is a direct tax, will lead to even more avoidance unless
measures are put in place to ease the tax burden on PAYE individuals.

Here are the unnerving facts:

(1) Most of the personal income taxes is already paid by the 350,000
PAYE individuals who fall within the net (it is estimated that 120,000
employed people fall outside the PAYE net).

(2) The income tax threshold will move to J$440,000 on January 1, 2010
from J$220,000 in early 2009. This results in 132,000 PAYE workers no
longer paying tax and was done because of the new special consumption
tax on fuel and taxes on emoluments introduced this year along with
other new or increased taxes.

(3) Only 4,000 people other than PAYE workers pay income tax in Jamaica.

(4) 1% of registered businesses account for 60% of the PAYE
contributions according to a 2007 Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB) study.

(5) The same IDB study estimated that only 71% of the corporate income
taxes paid in Jamaica were paid by only 1% of companies.

(6) The IDB also estimates that 40% of the economic activity in
Jamaica is untaxed.

(7) The Prime Minister in the past pointed out that of 500 medical
doctors identified at random from domestic directories, a mere handful
was on the tax roll and filed returns.

On June 11, 2009, Senator Arthur Williams, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Finance and Public Service spoke about comprehensive tax
reform being worked on while addressing the graduation exercise of the
Tax Audit and Revenue Administration Post Graduate Diploma Programme.
He said that the “tax regime is burdensome, complex and inequitable”
and that “A more simplified system will encourage local investment and
formal business activity, while also making Jamaica a more attractive
destination for foreign direct investments. Voluntary tax compliance
will improve, because it would be easier to pay one’s taxes,”

If the Prime Minister does in fact prefer to introduce new taxes while
raising others instead of taking this opportunity to introduce this
much talked about “simplified system” then it will be one of the
greatest missed opportunities since 1962.

PAYE workers cannot afford any more taxes and they will definitely
find a way to avoid the new taxes as best as possible. My next post
will deal with the proposed cuts to the public sector and a
counter-proposal.

We want to commend you for highlighting the matter of the current
status of the engagement of Jamaican Diaspora and its importance and
relevance to Jamaica at this time in our history. We believe that the
discussion of a “Greater Jamaica”, both those home and abroad, is a
critical one in meeting our mutual challenges and delivering on our
dreams. For this reason, we are appreciative of the bi-partisan
support of our government and supportive private sector in moving the
Diaspora engagement along during changing administrations.

In contrast, as inferred from your commentary, we do not embrace the
notion and attitude that Jamaica’s relationship with its Diaspora
community is primarily premised solely on needy times. We are
convinced that nurturing our Diaspora engagement is based on
deliberate strategic measures to meet our country’s challenges and
also to partake in positive opportunities. While we make no qualms
about giving to our homeland, we do not believe that our country has
taken full advantage of the relationship on many levels.

Over the years, we have had numerous community forums with public and
private sector leaders to discuss initiatives and commitments, but
have encountered more frustrations with follow through than expedited
closure. Notwithstanding, we also share the blame for not being more
vocal and demanding and furthering our community organizing in our
various jurisdictions.  All parties recognize that it is time to bring
substance and purpose to this relationship.  Given the global identity
of our country’s personality, we cannot avoid our inevitable path to a
“Greater Jamaica.”

As such, we commend the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade
for listening to our urging through the voice of the Jamaican Diaspora
Advisory Board.  We are ready to provide further testimony and, as
requested, to speak directly to our family and peers at home.  In
addition, we are also looking forward   to the next Jamaican Diaspora
“Convention”, scheduled for June 2010.

This is not only an exciting time for deepening this relationship, but
also vital in addressing the myriad of fiscal obstacles and societal
regressions that we fail to recognize openly.  We hope that all
Jamaicans will recognize that our population is not only 2.8 million,
but actually a powerful statistic of a total of 5 million worldwide
and growing.  We have yet to tap our true potential.  This Committee
is the catalyst for a Sunday dinner conversation that is well past its
time.   Thank you for setting the table and hearing the alarm.

Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board

Patrick A Beckford (USA, North East)
Marlon Hill (USA, South)
Wayland Richards (USA, Mid West/West)
David Mullings, (USA, Future Leaders)
Sharon Abrahams (Canada)
Claudette Cameron-Stewart (Canada)
Leo Campbell (Canada, Future Leaders)
Celia Grandison-Markey (UK)
Derek Douglas (UK)
Saffron Jackson (UK, Future Leaders)

I have previously written about the lunacy of selling Air Jamaica to Indigo Partners, owners of the budget airlines Spirit and WizzAir, due to the poor fit, difference in clientele, poor customer service record of Spirit and expected pullout of all-inclusive hotels on marketing partnerships.

I also wrote Don Wehby while he was at the Ministry of Finance to find out why an IPO (initial public offering) of Air Jamaica shares could not be undertaken instead of a sale seeing as how so many Jamaicans claimed to be willing to purchase stock in the airline. His answer was simple: The Jamaican Stock Exchange cannot take such a large offering. Air Jamaica’s debt was about US$1.2 billion and the offering would have to take place on a larger exchange such as the NYSE or London Stock Exchange. He did however admit that the government would retain about 20% ownership and would consider offering some of that stock via the local stock exchange after the completion of a sale.

I appreciated the answer (he replied within 3 days). Since then I have revisited the old idea of leasing the airline just like how Sangster International Airport is leased to MBJ to be run privately and profitably. This is much preferred to selling off our assets, especially under such bad market conditions.

It seems that based on our Tourism Minister’s statement quoted above, the government is now back to the “we keep, you lease” idea and looking for a partner knowledgeable in running profitable airlines.

Virgin gets my vote.

They already have a codeshare with Air Jamaica to Gatwick, 7th Heaven miles are earned on Virgin Atlantic, they bought our Heathrow slots (at a steal), Virgin America has launched, their service level is comparable to Air Jamaica and most importantly, they are VERY interested in the Caribbean.

Spirit has the highest complaints of any US domestic carrier in the USA with more than 5 million passengers: 14.3 per 100,000. Second place went to US Airways with 2.0 per 100,000, a whopping seven times difference between worst and second-worst.

American Airlines could work but they consistently lose to Air Jamaica at the World Travel Awards for Best Airline to the Caribbean.

British Airways is probably still upset about the Heathrow slots.

Caribbean Airlines is practically owned by Trinidad and I don’t see Jamaicans supporting a move to work with them based on how Trinidad has treated Jamaican companies while “invading” our island.

JetBlue has shown real interest in Jamaica but has no experience with the UK and European markets.

The Government of the day needs to give us a proper update and not just a quote from a press release, as well as a high level strategy overview: Is it for sale or are they looking for a partnership?

Written by David Mullings