Devon Evans

Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, executive director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation. - File

Ocho Rios, St. Ann:

Executive Director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, is calling on Government to spend less on crime-fighting tactics and more on the development of the business and social sectors in order to deal fundamentally with the crime problem.

Speaking last week with The Sunday Gleaner in Ocho Rios, Coke-Lloyd said a complete understanding of all the factors causing crime is needed to tackle it so as to prevent any further negative backlash on the country's businesses and the economy.

"Wake up! Stop pretending it doesn't happen. Look inside our own culture. Are some of us causing the problem and not admitting it, or are we just sweeping it under the carpet?" said Coke-Lloyd.

She said Jamaicans needed to stop and take a serious stance on the matter if the country is to move forward.

"We need to do what is right. It is not about what we want but what is right".

Coke-Lloyd admitted that it would not be easy to change the lifestyles of people who, over the years, have been doing things in a particular way, but she is confident that it can be done.

"We just need to accept that it is a reality and stop talking as much as we do and look at the issues underneath," she suggested.

Members of JEF are in Ocho Rios for the federation's 25th Anniversary and Business Convention which began at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort on Thursday.

The conference, which ends today, has attracted participants from various corners of the globe. Coke-Lloyd said the conference has surpassed all its targets and is bigger than last year.

Convention director, Barry Robinson, said the real measure of success of the event will be the extent to which the knowledge gained and lessons learned are manifested in the personal growth of each individual and the growth of their organisations.