By Al Edwards, Business Co-ordinator
Oliver Clarke, president of the PSOJ, thinks that crime is the biggest single deterrent to job creation. - File
MR. OLIVER Clarke has gained a reputation as someone who sets objectives and assiduously attains them.
He has decided to step down as PSOJ president after a year, choosing to concentrate on his business interests which see him as the chairman and managing director of the English-speaking Caribbean's leading newspaper, The Gleaner, and the chairman of the country's premier building society, Jamaica National Building Society.
What are his thoughts on his tenure as president of the PSOJ?
"I found it an exciting year and I have learnt a great deal during that period. I have tried to focus the PSOJ during the year on completing the consolidation of its administration with those of the other private sector organisations. We now have in our offices on Hope Road, the central operations of the Jamaica Exporters' Association (JEA) and the Jamaica Bankers' Association (JBA). It is our hope that during 2003, both the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) will be able to consolidate administrative functions, that is, each organisation will continue to exist but will share a common secretariat," he said.
Currently, there is a Memorandum of Understanding that has been signed between the JCC, the JMA and the PSOJ. "The simple fact is that none of the trade associations have the financial resources they really need to do a good job. It makes a compelling case to retain some level of autonomy in terms of your business but share the secretariat. Although full consolidation hasn't happened I am optimistic that it will."
Of his tenure, Mr. Clarke said he found it very difficult not to have the back-up of the necessary research and support staff which is needed to run a trade association. On taking on the position he sought to focus upon seeing what the business community could do to support the security forces and the Government initiatives to reduce crime.
"During the year our relationship with the police has deepened and has been mutually beneficial. We have run a programme of monthly phone-ins where senior police officers make themselves available to the public and it is a very important programme. We started a monthly 'Courtesy Week' in the various parishes again with senior police officers. We had the first one last month in St. Elizabeth and in the week of the 26th of January, we will be running the second one in Manchester and in February we will be moving to Clarendon. I must add that the police did a fine job in the monthly 'Courtesy Week' in St. Elizabeth in using it to try to get closer to the people of that parish and also to show them what they were doing as the police in that area to build community relations."
He points to the Government's action on the National Crime Report that the PSOJ (under the presidency of Peter Moses) developed together with the two main political parties that has led to the formation of a Consultative Committee which he believes will be effective. Of particular importance this year has been the PSOJ's endeavours to say to the public it is time to stop the escalation of crime in Jamaica. The message to the nation was one of "If you know about criminal activity, give that information to the police." To this end the PSOJ has given its full support.
"I think crime is the biggest single deterrent to job creation in Jamaica and we have to change that.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
"In relation to economic growth I believe interest rates have got to be brought down to reflect the much lower inflation rate in Jamaica. It is impossible to believe that economic growth will take place here on any level if the cost of capital is 100 per cent or more greater than the rate of inflation.
DOWNTOWN KINGSTON
The rehabilitation and revitalisation of downtown Kingston is regarded as the spur to improve the management to get work done in all the inner cities throughout the country. The Prime Minister has taken on the job of chairing a committee to resuscitate downtown Kingston and has the support of the PSOJ with that. "We at the PSOJ and the JCC are extremely unhappy with the lack of good management of the cities of Jamaica. I think something dramatic has to be done to ensure that our cities are better managed."
THE CHURCHES
Mr. Clarke has not been solely preoccupied with the demands and expectations of the business community. He is of the view that business can only be effective if it exists within a moral framework. As a result, over the last year the PSOJ has solicited the help of the churches in seeing whether there can be a re-growth in family values and family life in Jamaica. Over the coming weeks the PSOJ, in conjunction with the churches, will be releasing a series of educational material on the issue of family life.
"During the course of my year at the PSOJ I have been helped tremendously by a good set of officers. Greta Bouges, who is the chief executive officer of the PSOJ, is a highly competent professional and I have been lucky to work with her. I would say there are three critical committees run by the PSOJ. There is the Economics Policy Committee headed by Dr. Nigel Clarke. I think it is important for the PSOJ to be discussing economic policy and lobbying for the changes that are needed. Then there is the Trade Policy Committee run by Jimmy Moss-Solomon. We have been trying to get the business community
more actively involved in discussions, for example, for a Caribbean Single Market Economy. I am unhappy that we have not been successful with this but we will continue to try. The third big committee is the National Security Committee. This is where the business community and the security forces sit down once a month to discuss issues and see how the business community can be supportive of their endeavours to ensure the welfare of citizens.
THE YEAR 2003
"Looking ahead to the year 2003 the PSOJ's job has to be to lobby for initiatives both in the short and long term, that are beneficial to the economic growth of Jamaica. Right now that mission means working to get crime down and working to create economic growth. It is very difficult for a country to manage if the Government has very little discretionary income.
"I was disappointed that the Government didn't use the last budget to try and adjust its tax revenues more effectively and so has left a gap to be raised by way of additional debt. We believe that there are large amounts of revenue that escape going to the Government because there is an absence of a proper collection mechanism. Over the last year the PSOJ has pressed the Government and will continue to press the Government to make certain that it collects all the import duties coming to Jamaica."
Mr. Clarke made it clear that business people who avoid paying appropriate taxes and duties are not likely to receive the PSOJ's support. However he stressed that this year the Government needs to improve its collection mechanism to collect import duties, GCT and other taxes that are due.
"I have been disappointed about the energy level that has been displayed in trying to collect taxes that are due to Govern-ment." Mr. Clarke notes the recent GRADE study on the informal economy, which discovered that the informal economy accounts for 43 per cent of GDP, points to the fact that this a very large sector relative to the more traditional business sector and that a greater effort has to be made to collect revenue from the informal sector.
"There are now clearly two playing fields in Jamaica, the one where people are making substantial amounts of money in Jamaica and who are not contributing to the cost of public services and the more traditional businesses which pay their taxes and are good corporate citizens.
Mr. Clarke will be standing down early next month and to date does not know who his successor is likely to be. The year-end at the PSOJ has changed to December in order to align all the financial year ends of the consolidated private sector trade associations. The election for the position of president of the PSOJ is due to take place next month.
