Pat Roxborough, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
LICENSED FIREARM holders here are reeling from a shortage of bullets, caused by a 1998 United States decision not to export guns or ammunition to Jamaica until the Government upgrades its import permit forms.
"Certainly we had been affected, we had a shortage of some of the proper calibres, namely the centre fire pistol cartridge and we had not imported any since last year," said Rory Chin, president of the Jamaica Rifle Association.
"This thing has affected every person who carries a legal firearm," said David Lee, president of the Spot Valley Gun Club in St. James, which facilitates training and target practice for hundreds of licensed firearm holders.
The new forms, which should reflect more information about the firearm, were requested two years ago, months after Jamaica, along with other regional territories, accepted and approved regulations for the control of the international movement of firearms and ammunition at a meeting convened by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).
"The information (that the new forms will require) is not onerous, it includes import certificate number, country of issuance, date of issuance, importer and exporter's name address and final recipient's name and address," said J. Michael Korff-Rodrigues, director at the Office of Public Affairs at the American Embassy in Kingston.
Nevertheless, the process has taken the Government two years to complete. Ministry of National Security and Justice Spokesperson, Shirley Byfield, said "the Ministry had been developing the forms."
Leighton Wilson, the Government's security officer, said it was awaiting approval.
"The newly-designed import permit form is awaiting approval. It will have to be gazetted," he said.
Mrs. Byfield could not say on what date the forms would be gazetted. However, several local gun clubs, and dealers who have had to scale down their activities as a result of the shortage, told The Sunday Gleaner that they believed that the situation has been resolved.
"I was informed last week that it has been cleared up," said Mr. Chin.
Leighton Sasso and Ernest Hoo, who sell guns in Kingston and St. Andrew respectively, agreed.
Superintendent Philbert Mowatt, who is in charge of the country's armoury, said the police force had not been affected by the situation.
"We have not had any difficulty getting supplies out of the United States," he said.
