The Editor, Sir:

I would like to know if the Government has changed the legal tender from Jamaican to American dollar. I have noticed over the last five years or so, some things are being priced in U.S. currency, like petrol, JPS and water bills, real estate, rents, motor cars, appliances, furniture, and now services like phone, cable, Internet.

I am not against the use of the U.S. dollar, but there seems to be a widening disparity in the economy where the owners of these goods and services seem to be only benefiting at the expense of the workers and consumers with the blessings of the Government.

The Government needs to bring some parity by sanctioning and declaring the duality of both currencies, or the gap of the 'haves and have nots' will continue to widen. It is hypocritical to constrain salaries through vehicles like the minimum wage and MoU and indexing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) that is predicated on local prices of basic goods and services. This is nothing but economic distortion that is authored by the Government.

I am, etc.,

MICHAEL JOHNSON

mikesdogma@gmail.com

2 Marathon Drive

Kingston 20

Via Go-Jamaica