Delroy Chuck
IN FIVE, ten or 30 years, will Jamaica still be mired in abject poverty, battling inflation, seized by the unrelenting criminality and frightening incidents of murder, riddled with corruption and increasing bureaucratic regulations, and forever struggling to balance the budget and pay the national debt? Or, would we have turned the corner and made Jamaica a wonderful, attractive, and desirable paradise to which Jamaicans can hope to spend their golden years? The latter outcome is possible but if, and only if, the nation earns its way in the global marketplace.
Jamaica needs to generate enough trade surplus and increasing national income to address its social needs, human challenges, poverty-related problems, mounting deprivation and depravity, infrastructural decay, poor wages and, for most, the declining quality of life. To be sure, the countries enjoying sustained economic growth and general improvements in their standards of living are those utilising their abundant natural resources, such as oil, or those with stimulating economic environment for export businesses to start, develop and boom. Without economic development and thriving businesses to earn foreign exchange, even with more loans, grants and remittances, Jamaica will not avoid sinking into even deeper poverty, which is presently Jamaica's fate.
EXPORTING LESS
Disappointingly, over the years, we are exporting less and exports are not given the highest priority in our macroeconomic policies or business considerations. In the past ten or more years, what has our government done to boost exports and make Jamaica more competitive, business friendly and ready for the global markets? The demand on our farmers, producers and manufacturers should be to cater to the Caribbean, Latin America and ultimately the world and, simultaneously, they should demand of our government the economic environment, port facilities and best commercial practices to make that possible. Sadly, most of our producers are content to cater to the limited local market and, generally, want to be protected from foreign competition. How many of our businessmen envisage the world's consumers, whether in Africa, Europe or Asia, as the purchasers and targets of their products?
Even in the specialised niche market, Jamaica cannot supply the needs of even Jamaicans in the diaspora. Recently, in North America, I picked up a can of 'Grace' cane juice, only to discover it had nothing to do with Jamaica, it was actually produced in Thailand for the Grace Kennedy Company. My parliamentary colleague, Dr. Neil McGill, displayed in Parliament a bottle of Jamaican jerk sauce he bought in London, which was produced in New York. 'Jamaican' pepper sauce, produced in Costa Rica, is sold in North American stores. Jamaican Country Style products, with headquarters in Florida, has little to do with Jamaica. Last month I had a tasty meal in a Jamaican restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, but apart from the Red Stripe beer, and evident Jamaican dishes, there is little connection to Jamaica, as the cook and waiters seem to be from Central America.
NAME BRAND COUNTRY
Jamaica is undoubtedly a name brand but we are a country of samples and unable to market, produce and export products sufficiently and consistently. Jamaican-produced patties, tasty dishes, Ting, spicy products, kola champagne and other liquid drinks, etc. should be readily available abroad and on a sustained basis. If sardines, herring and salmon can be cooked and canned, why can't tilapia, smoked marlin, peppered shrimps and jerk pork be similarly done for the thousands of Jamaicans at home and abroad? Before long the Japanese or Chinese may start canning and marketing these products and another golden opportunity will be lost.
More than ever, our political and business leaders need to activate and exercise their creative imaginations to expand and drive the export sector and market Brand Jamaica comprehensively. Tourism alone cannot do it, even though it is the one industry that can benefit us enormously if properly marketed and enhanced. We must look beyond ripe banana and sweet sugar, and to related products and crops with high value added ingredients, which would make it worthwhile to continue tilling the soil.
With vision and will, Jamaica can become a cherished paradise. However, on virtually every front, Jamaica has to turn fully around and start to earn its way out of debt, be on a path of prosperity and lift the people's trust and confidence in nation building. The immediate challenge is to achieve global competitiveness, renewed business confidence and produce more Jamaican products for the diverse, specialised and sophisticated markets of the world.
Delroy Chuck is an attorney-at-law and Opposition Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by email at delchuck@hotmail.com.
