Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
Clarke: No available resources to assist coffee farmers. - File
AGRICULTURE MINISTER Roger Clarke came under fire from Opposition Member of Parliament Andrew Gallimore for what he claimed was the Government's refusal to assist coffee farmers who are unable to collect insurance claims from bankrupt Dyoll Insurance Company.
The matter was raised at the Standing Finance Committee meeting at Gordon House last week.
Mr. Gallimore accused the Government of treating the matter lightly, considering the value of the coffee industry to the economy.
"If the Government of Jamaica, after doing their study, is willing to spend $6 billion on World Cup cricket for a feel-good effect, and is unwilling to help the farmers of this country, is that what you are telling me," he asked.
"I can tell you that when you invest in the coffee you will turn a profit and you will earn taxes," he added.
But Mr. Clarke insisted that the Government had no available resources to assist coffee farmers.
LITIGATION
"There is no allocation in the Ministry of Agriculture to compensate those farmers who lost. There is now litigation happening in the courts. They are to get a date for a trial very soon. The insurance company has put the money in escrow awaiting the result of the case," he said
This was not the first time Mr. Gallimore had raised concerns on behalf of coffee farmers.
The last time he made an impassioned appeal to Minister of Finance, Dr. Omar Davies, the reaction was the same from the Government. Davies had said that the Government did not have the funds available to assist the coffee farmers.
Dyoll Insurance Company went into receivership last year following claims presented by clients in the Cayman Islands from damage caused by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
Earlier last year it was determined that the Dyoll claims totalled about $850 million while the company had equity of about $600 million.
It is estimated that some 10,000 coffee farmers were affected by the liquidation.
Following marathon meetings of the Standing Finance Committee over three days last week, Finance Minister Omar Davies opens the Budget Debate on Thursday.
SCHEDULE OF CONTRIBUTORS
TO BUDGET DEBATE 2006
DATE PRESENTATIONS
| April 27, 2006 | . | | Opening Budget |
| May 2, 2006 | | · | Opposition Spokesman on Finance |
| May 3, 2006 | | · | Government Minister |
| May 3, 2006 | | · | Opposition Spokesman |
| May 4, 2006 | | · | Leader of the Opposition |
| May 9, 2006 | | · | Prime Minister |
| May 10, 2006 | | · | Closing |
