Yahneake Sterling, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) yesterday hit back at the Government for its attack on president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC).

On Friday, Chairman of the People's National Party (PNP) Robert Pickersgill, labelled JCC's president Mark Myers, as "genetically-connected" to the Jamaica Labour Party after he chided the PNP for accepting a "donation" from the Dutch-based oil trading company Trafigura Beheer.

However, the PSOJ fired back at the Government, stating that the attack on Mr. Myer's integrity was an attempt to sidetrack the more pertinent and important issues.

"Actions of this nature will not encourage business people to take time out from their commitments to 'step up to the plate' to lead associations in representing the interests of its constituents," the PSOJ said in a release.

Additionally, the organisation has expressed its concern with the statement issued by Trafigura Beheer that the $31 million in question paid to the firm CCOC was not a donation to the PNP. PNP General Secretary and Information Minister Colin Campbell is a signatory on the company's bank account.

COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT

Trafigura Beheer, responding to Hot 102/CVM news, said on the weekend that the money in question was a part of the development of its business in Jamaica, and that it has a "commercial agreement with CCOC Associates and payments were made under that agreement."

The PSOJ said that the matter of registration of political parties and the critical matter of campaign financing needs to be addressed.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce has lashed back at the PNP, saying that the statement made by its president Mark Myers is the collective view of the organisation.

"We wish to emphasise that the theme of our statement was, and continues to be, the urgent need for the enactment of laws governing campaign financing," said the JCC. "We therefore do not hesitate to reiterate that we consider inappropriate any donation to any political party, which can lead to the type of concerns about transparency that the Trafigura Beheer transaction has engendered," added the JCC.

On the issue of confidentiality breaches at FirstCaribbean Bank, the JCC says that it does not condone the infringement and is encouraged by the swift response by the bank to investigate the matter.

Meantime, Rev. Al Miller, pastor of Fellowship Tabernacle, yesterday added his voice to the parties querying the PNP's acceptance of money from Trafigura. He stated that it was unethical for the PNP to have accepted the "gift" from the disgraced Dutch oil trading company.

"It is unethical, certainly inappropriate, and therefore it smacks of the whole issue of that which forms the basis of corrupt practices, and it has unfortunately been our history," Rev. Miller said.

He argued that if the leaders of the country see nothing wrong with accepting gifts from entities with which it conducts business, then it raises questions about the deals and contracts with other governments as well as the issue of trust.

Political analyst, Kevin O'Brien Chang also questioned the PNP's decision to accept money from a company that lacks credibility.

Commenting on Trafigura's statement that the funds in question were a commercial agreement, Mr. Chang said: "If Trafigura is telling the truth, then the PNP's spokespersons, Colin Campbell, Robert Pickersgill, all of them, have been shown to be public liars."