THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE long argued that the days of preferential treatment given to commodities such as banana and sugar could no longer be sustained against the background of globalization and WTO trading protocols. I had suggested that instead of fighting this trend towards globalization, the local authorities would be well advised to come up with some creative ways in which we can make a smooth and as painless a transition from reliance upon the sugar industry to other projects.
Instead of such creativity the government continued to pump millions of dollars into an ailing industry, ostensibly to stave off any massive unemployment there. This only served to postpone what we are facing today. There was increased production in given years but this was never sufficient to take advantage of the quota regime established with the EU countries.
Now the chickens have come home to roost and my worst fears have been confirmed in the recent rejection by the WTO of any EU preferential treatment for these commodities. With all respect to the parties involved, the recent protest by functionaries within the industry to reverse that which was inevitable a good decade ago, is a waste of time.
If they understand globalization and the functioning of the WTO then they are doing the workers a disservice by giving the impression that they can preserve the industry or return it to the glory days of the past. Those days are over. The sooner these functionaries and the government level with the workers the better they can all plan for a way forward. It is hard economics that will rule the day, not political posturing.
I am, etc.,
REV. RALSTON
NEMBHARD
stead6655@aol.com
