JUST OVER two years since the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) led an islandwide shutdown of the business sector to protest rising crime, one of its senior members said yesterday that violence remains the biggest deterrent to economic growth.

Richard Chen, a PSOJ vice-president and director of the Super Plus supermarket chain, told a Gleaner Editors' Forum yesterday that crime has scared off potential investors.

"Until we get it under control the investment (in Jamaica) won't take place," he said.

Downtown potential

Mr. Chen made reference to downtown Kingston to enforce his point. He said tha the area is home to over 500,000 people and several established businesses, crime has prevented it from achieving its full potential.

"There are many communities below Cross Roads and there are no supermarkets," Mr. Chen said. "It's not because people don't eat below Cross Roads, but a supermarket where you go in and pick up your things without feeling comfortable cannot survive."

He said that with police statistics showing that young males in the 15-25 age group are responsible for most crimes in Jamaica, more job opportunities should be open to this group in urban centres.

On May 25, 2005, the PSOJ initiated a nationwide lockdown of the commercial sector to protest the murders of May Pen businessmen Maurice Azan and Lloyd Phang. The organisation also staged a rally at Emancipation Park in St. Andrew to sensitise the populace to the country's runaway homicide rate.