Are we really independent?
published: Thursday | October 16, 2003

THE EDITOR, Sir:

ARE WE begging to be re-colonised? In 1962 Jamaica broke away from the British rule and embraced independence. I do not think we achieved independence because we have been skewed more to the dependent side than the independent side since we have declared independence. We have depended so much on imports that pierce so many holes in our economy and we seem not to be waking up to smell the coffee. Why aren't the government and the private sector telling the Jamaican people that imports are damaging and costly?

When we import, foreign exchange must be found to purchase the goods. Now this begs the question: where is this foreign exchange coming from? Remittances are not enough to balance the equation. Jamaica, we are the cause of our unemployment crisis because we are not buying Jamaican. Though the quality is not what it should be, we should still purchase Jamaican and at the same time demand that the quality be improved. We need to invest in our economy and build our economy. We are waiting on foreign investors to come to worsen our economy, because once profits are made it is going back to their country.

We can build Jamaica because we have the technical know-how and the assets. So we need to import goods we need to build our economy, not to destroy it.

I am etc.,

ANTHONY FULLER

Seanf2002@yahoo.com

Comfort Hall, Manchester

Via Go-Jamaica