FREE EDUCATION!!! WHY NOT?

By Delano Seiveright

“The Right to Education is a fundamental human right. … As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty, and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. None of the civil, political, economic and social rights can be exercised by individuals unless they have received a certain minimum education.” – UNESCO

FREE EDUCATION?

The public continues to be misinformed about the JLP’s planned free education policy when it becomes government. One must as a matter of urgency clear the air on this unnecessarily controversial issue.

HISTORY

The history of free education in Jamaica was first proposed in the JLP’s 1944 manifesto. Under the Michael Manley regime of the 1970s it was implemented. However, the economy at the time collapsed under the weight of poor economic policies. This was the period at which Manley brought Jamaica down the road of so called democratic socialism. Tuition-free education thereafter proved unsustainable. The JLP administration of the 1980s, however, continued the policy at the primary and secondary level. It was the PNP administration of the early 1990s that reversed the policy.

ELIMINATING COST SHARING?

It was in 2002 that the then Prime Minister PJ Patterson, said he would eliminate cost sharing - a mechanism through which government and parents pay portions of the school fee - by 2005. This would have made education tuition free up to the secondary level. We are now in the year 2007 and that policy is yet to be fulfilled, leaving thousands of poor families in the quandary. Where is the outrage?

YOU HAVE OUR WORD

That being said, it must be noted that the children of Jamaica are to benefit from tuition-free primary and secondary education under a JLP government. This according to the Opposition Spokesman on Education, Andrew Holness, will cost in the region of J$1 billon per year.

Despite the terrible state of the economy brought on by mismanagement and failed economic policies, on the part of the PNP administrations of the past 18 years, there are ways to fund this important policy. A simple reallocation of public resources will more than cover the monies needed to fund it. Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and many other progressive societies have made this possible.

IS IT POSSIBLE?

Jamaica will have to make a sustainable sacrifice. The government scandals and profligacy of the last 18 years have cost this country tens of billions of dollars. There is no reason then for anyone to create rumpus about Jamaica being unable to fund this noble policy? The country managed to rustle up over US$150 million for the Cricket World Cup and an additional US$125 million for Air Jamaica, both of which to any levelheaded person has little or no impact on Jamaica’s future economic and social development.

SOLUTIONS

Many solutions have been put forward to overhaul our education system. Commendably, the government’s task force on education report so far has put the most comprehensive solutions forward. The cost to implement the proposals in the report amount to a whopping $521.4 billion over 10 years or approximately $52 billion per year.

GORDON HOUSE RESOLUTION

Unfortunately, finding $52 billion per year, in our current economic state isn’t feasible. A more pragmatic and far-reaching solution was brokered in a bi-partisan (Jamaica Labour Party/People's National Party) accord on education encapsulated in a resolution passed in Gordon House in October 2003. The resolution committed the government to increase to 15 per cent over five years, the budgetary allocation to education, moving up by an incremental one per cent per year over five years. The government has unfortunately failed to honour that agreement. As a matter of fact, only approximately 11 per cent of the budget had been allocated to education for the 2006/2007 financial year.

Further yet the resolution committed the government to: A programme to renovate, rebuild and equip basic schools; the provision of a comprehensive textbook lending programme for primary schools; to work with schools to provide a compulsory homework or literacy hour after classes; the reduction of the teacher-student ratio to 1:25 at the primary school level and finally the government takeover of a significant number of basic schools (1,800 in number) through the provision of funding and the appointment of at least one trained teacher, in the first instance.

WHAT HAPPENED?

What is the status of the aforementioned commitments in this far-reaching resolution? An update is immediately required from the Minister of Education, Maxine Henry-Wilson.

One seriously wonders how much longer government will continue to dawdle with the issue of overhauling of our education system? Our society already seems to be collapsing under the heavy weight of ignorance. It is high time therefore that education be placed on the front burner once and for all.

Food for thought:

You think education is expensive try ignorance.

Delano Seiveright

Deputy General Secretary, G2K

PR Administrator, JLP

Email: delanoseiveright@yahoo.com

G2K or Generation 2000 is the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

By Delano Seiveright

A Worrying Problem
Crime seems to have an effect on the everyday lives of Jamaicans. In 2005 alone the murder tally was just over 1,670, yet another record. Most Jamaicans are now living lives saddled with unabated fear. Our capital city with the exception of a few pockets is largely deserted at nights. It is therefore without a doubt that the impact of rampant crime and violence is being felt across all spheres of our society.

Living on the Edge
Many of us consciously and unconsciously alter our lifestyles in order to enhance that ever-fading sense of security. Some for the most part intentionally avoid driving through inner city communities, disregard traffic signals at late night, refuse to walk even a quarter mile in the day and nights, put in place low cost to expensive security mechanisms and arm ourselves with knives, machetes, and for the lucky few, guns.

One seriously wonders how much longer Jamaicans can continue to live a life consumed with fear. For how long can we tolerate living in what is now commonly perceived as one of the murder capitals of the world? And can young people in particular seriously consider living copious and blissful lives in a country where their seems to be a rapidly declining state of law and order?

Heavyhanded Policing
Scholars, politicians, commentators and veranda society have spoken ad nauseam on the causes of all the spiraling crime and violence. There seems to be an emerging consensus on all sides that social and economic conditions along with the criminal justice apparatus would have to be ameliorated before crime and violence can be brought under any real control. Despite this however much of the debate on how to cauterize the mind-boggling spate of crime and violence plaguing our nation, centers on the utilization of Jamaican style heavy handed policing and its typical offshoots of extra judicial killings and the deprivation of human rights.

Do you recall the Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips’ call for “severe, extreme, resolute measures”? Conservatives must accept the fact that heavy-handed policing will not break the strong back of Jamaica’s mammoth crime dilemma.

Social Structure Theories
There are several criminological theories that emphasize the relationship between social and economic factors and the perpetration of crime. Noted American criminologist, Larry Siegel, in one of his books, ‘Criminology’, explored extensively Social Structure theories. Siegel noted that, “As a group, social structure theories suggest that social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower class areas push many of their residents into criminal behaviour patterns.” These negative social and economic factors include high unemployment, underemployment, shabby housing, high school drop out rates, and teenage/young adult gangs.

The Uptown Dowtown Divide
Though middle and upper income Jamaicans or uptowners engage in violent criminal activities they do so at a much lesser frequency.

How often does one hear of a Norbrook or Cherry Gardens young male resident being involved in armed robberies, shootings and carjackings? And, why is it that our middle and upper income neighbourhoods infrequently experience the torment of marauding gunmen engaged in turf warfare? It is a fact that the most violent crimes occur in poor inner-city communities.
Havendale and the inner city communites off Red Hills road and Mannings Hill road are located in pretty much the same geographic area, yet these inner city residents are accustomed to standard violent flare-ups whilst Havendale residents are largely unscathed.

The only nuisance related to violence experienced by Havendale residents is the frightening sound of gunfire coming across from the neighbouring communities. The same phenomenon exists across many other parts of the Corporate area, St. Catherine and Montego Bay.

Differing Circumstances
Sociologists believe that one’s socialization and social environment shapes behaviour patterns. The average 17-year-old male in upper St. Andrew is much less likely to become a gunman than the average 17-year-old male in South St. Andrew. In this case there is a dramatic disparity between both adolescents.

One is given a quality education, lives in comfortable housing, has educated and gainfully employed parents, and is presented with a plethora of options for future satisfaction.
The other is socially and economically marginalized with the odds for the most part stacked up against him. As such the latter is more likely to go the route of crime.

Solutions
The solutions to our crime dilemma as mentioned above require the immediate amelioration of far too appalling social and economic conditions for the masses. There is also a desperate need for the reform of our ramshackle criminal justice system.

Certainly the trend in economic and social statistics over the last decade and a half indicates that our crime dilemma will continue to worsen. The last time Jamaica experienced notable economic growth was 1990. Economic growth since then continues to be worryingly sluggish. To make matters worse the economy between the years 1996 and 1999 actually contracted. If our economy continues to perform lethargically talk of reducing crime is just, talk. Sustained economic growth overtime will bring about a reprieve to many Jamaicans, as overtime meaningful employment opportunities will increase substantially. The real test on the part of the government is to ensure that economic expansion isn’t to the benefit of a few but also to ordinary working class Jamaicans.

On the social side dramatic improvements must be made in housing and education. Some positive steps have been made in these areas. However, they are not significant enough and seem to lack governmental resolve. Government continues to pussyfoot on addressing the wide-ranging problems in education to the continued detriment of our society. Housing is even more distressing. The simple fact that large numbers of Kingstonians lack proper sanitary facilities is an absolute embarrassment.

One cannot of course tackle crime without bringing about considerable improvements to the criminal justice system. G2K, Generation 2000, the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party, had in 2006 presented comprehensive and solution rich reports of both the justice system and the police force. These recommendations, some of which can be easily implemented as long as there is the resolve, can go a very far way in eliminating the problems faced by both critical organs of our nation’s security apparatus.

EDITORS' FORUM - Promoting sustainable growth

Gleaner Report
published: Monday November 27, 2006

Opposition Spokesman for Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw


Last Wednesday, The Gleaner hosted Audley Shaw, Opposition spokesman on Finance and the Public Service, at a Gleaner Editors' Forum. Mr. Shaw was questioned on a range of issues relevant to his shadow portfolio. Today, we present excerpts from the forum.

I have come to the conclusion that there are some structural weaknesses in the economy that militate against the growth, significant growth, and I just want to briefly summarise them.

The four areas that I've identified that are of immediate need of attention would be, number one, the debt burden of the country. It has to be dealt with in a very specific and unambiguous fashion.

Secondly, we need a sensible energy policy. An energy policy that takes into account the fact that we are heavily oil dependent at present and that the cost of energy production in Jamaica is way above the international average ... the cost of producing electricity ... we have to look at that. Because, unless you can deal over time with reducing the cost of energy in Jamaica, then you are not going to be able to have any significant impact on really taming inflation in a significant way or, even more importantly, you are not going to be able to allow for industrialisation on any significant basis; manufacturing, commercial, and you can't have an industrial policy that is based on high energy cost, and the attendant inflation, and the fact that it makes business uncompetitive, it makes manufacturing uncompetitive.

The third pillar, in my view, is the pillar of the bureaucracy. Now, the bureaucracy, when I refer to the bureaucracy I am talking about the public sector bureaucracy. I am talking about the ability of the bureaucracy to deliver efficient services to everyone in the country; to business people, to investors, to people who want to apply for permission to put up a sub-division, to put up some kind of development, the kind of red tape that they have to be going through. Things that ought to be taking weeks or months approvals are taking years in Jamaica.

Debt burden
And the fourth pillar is the need for taxation reform and the need for aggressive investment promotion. I put them together on the basis that taxation reform is not just about how you collect more from the people or how you collect more efficiently, but taxation reform is also about how you can use taxation as an instrument of encouraging savings and investment, fiscal incentives, and that's part of your tax regime. So I put it along with what's the quality of the investment promotion drive.

Many businesses have fallen, and you will remember that over 40 companies in the financial sector were closed down in the 1990s as a result of the financial sector collapse. But the debt burden, and that's where we should start, because we have to understand that the debt burden has come about in part because of the high interest rates that have really been a central feature of the Jamaican economy.

We want to re-engage with the multilateral institutions which have money at relatively lower interest rates, at least half of what pertains now on the domestic and international capital markets. The multilaterals can lend you money now at four to five per cent. And they are in the mode to provide what are called policy-based loans. They are ready. Mr. Golding and I met with the IDB (International Develop-ment Bank) people two weeks ago. We met with the World Bank people a few months ago, and I have had discussion with Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) people.

But let me just say on multilaterals, you've got to go to them in a disciplined, organised, well thought out, well planned way. And I believe that what we've got to demonstrate to the multilateral is that listen, world economy has been growing by at least four or five per cent while we have been growing at less than one per cent. How can we get Jamaica to grow by six to 10 percent? And they will sit down with them and say there are certain things we know we have to do.

Incremental each year
We have got to deal with our macro-economic climate, we have got to deal with our debt burden, but in the meantime we can say to an IDB or a consortium of IDB, World Bank and CDB, we have some problems, one of them (is) we need $20 billion incremental each year to get our transformation for education going. And listen, if we can't get all the $20 billion one time to start to go right through the system, basic, primary, secondary, let us say 'All right, let's start with basic, the little ones, let's start rescuing them there, and let's put in a remedial programme in primary and secondary'. They can at least begin to see if we can rescue those in there to teach them how to read and write, but give the full impact of the resources at the beginning. We discussed it with the multilaterals and they say that education is an area in which ... policy-based loans ... they are willing to look at it, they are ready to look at it because they don't want to see any child left behind anywhere in the world, and that would be money well spent.

But it's going to require a lot of discipline for us to sit with them and to work with them, and it's not conditionalities they will have, you know, but it's that with them you have to dot your I's and cross your T's. Omar (Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies) doesn't like that anymore. When Omar became Finance Minister, the debt portfolio, 70 per cent was to multilaterals and bilaterals and 30 per cent was to private sector, local and overseas. Today it is the exact opposite. Today it is 70 per cent to private sector, local and overseas and 30 (per cent) multilateral and bilateral. At whose cost? At whose expense? The people of Jamaica, because the average cost of that money at that time was maybe, three to five per cent. What's the average cost of the money now? Ten to 15 per cent.

Information Technology
IT is a winner! What we have to do, we have to make sure first of all that we have a pool of adequately trained people and thereafter we have to retrofit JAMPRO to go and do the necessary marketing, the targeting of the investors and bringing them to Jamaica, and when they bring them to Jamaica they need go no further than over at Mr. (Patrick) Casserly's place (e-Services Ltd.) to show the potential - and there is nothing that is as helpful in promoting investment as when you are able to take the investors and show them an existing facility which is exactly something that they want to replicate - and they see it live and direct and see it function.

But JAMPRO, the promotional arm, the investment promotional arm of the country, in my view, has to be completely revived, completely reorganised, and we have to take a very critical look at the areas of investment promotion possibilities, which information technology has to be. Apart from tourism right now, apart from tourism, informa-tion technology has to be on the top of the list.

Sugar
There are models all over the world of sugar production that have demonstrated that sugar can be efficient. Ironically, right here in Jamaica the McConnells at Worthy Park and down at Appleton Estates have demonstrated to us that sugar can ... they are producing sugar at something like 10 or 12 cents per pound cheaper than what the Government-owned sugar factories are producing at right now, and it is a function of inefficiency. Right now it is a function of inefficiency. The Minister of Finance has not been ensuring that the sugar company gets the cash flow on time, because planting and replanting of sugar cane is not something that, if you need it in January you can't provide it in March, because there are consequences.

We support divestment, but it can't be divestment sort of without knowing a proper business plan, what is it that is proposed, because remember we had divested before and the Government divested in the 1990s to the Cameron Group and what happened then, in my view, was that they appeared not to have an adequate business plan, and it appeared to be undercapitalised, and then you have the other, you know, consequent sort of domino effect.

Now, when you divest something, it has to have very clear rules, what's the capital coming in, what is the plan? How does the plan relate to how other countries have made it successful, for instance? The world is moving away from just a sugar cane industry. They are moving to a sugar cane-based industry with all its by-products. So you have co-generation, you have sugar itself, you have rum. We ought to be making 10 times the amount of rum that we make today.

I have met some of the investors who want to hit the ground running, including some from India. They have come out here and they have asked to meet with the Opposition and we've met with them. Who is ensuring that this is being done and that is being done and the timetable for this is being adhered to, because it is a matter of urgency?

At least one investor has expressed frustration to me. They have a feeling that somehow there are all kinds of permutations, there are all kinds of special interests, there are all kinds of, sort of, internal politics issues. And that particular investor didn't get a feeling that he was getting a straight answer, and this requires direction.

Air Jamaica
Air Jamaica requires very, very careful study, very careful analysis. We have agreed as a responsible Opposition to become a part of these discussions and a meeting has been called, a Parliamentary Committee meeting has now been called. I was invited to it yesterday (last Tuesday), for next week Thursday, the 30th at Gordon House. That is chaired, I believe, by
Dr. Davis, and myself, Mike Henry and I think Clive Mullings are the Opposition members on that team. I don't want to make any pronouncements on Air Jamaica, worst of all it's not a portfolio matter for me as of now, although it's tangential in terms of the finance portfolio. What I can say is that the Government really, and the Minister of Finance, it's not good enough for them to come and say all I am giving to you is US$30 million per year subsidy, and at the same time presiding over a situation in which they are losing at least US$100 million more. So that if they give them a subsidy of US$30 million they have lost US$130 million, but they give them a subsidy of US$30 million, where is the other US$100 million, how is that going to be factored in, who is going to pay for it? All we are saying is that the minister comes arbitrarily and says 'This is all I can give you in subsidy', but then a few years down the line he will come back to Parliament and say 'Well you know we need to restructure Air Jamaica and here is the outstanding debt accumulated over the past 10 years and, therefore, we are now going to have to find the money to pay it.'

I think that in principle it's always good to have a national airline, especially in circumstances where our tourism industry is really the flagship for Jamaica right now as a bright light in terms of, you know, what we can look to, and certainly there is so much more that can be done for tourism to expand it that much more, because we haven't even started to look at South Coast tourism in a serious way yet. We have the North Coast that is building its own capacities. But, equally, the preservation of Air Jamaica cannot be at all costs, it can't be at all costs, something has to give. Other airlines have proved that they can be efficient and they have come up with the formula to be efficient, whether it is a rationalisation ...

(Closing Air Jamaica) would be a last resort. I wouldn't be looking at that now. I think there is a thing called efficiency and we've got to look at that.

LAST CHANCE!!!

By Delano Seiveright

PARTY CONFERENCE
The public session of the 63rd annual conference of the Jamaica Labour Party on November 19th 2006 has been heralded as the biggest party conference in Jamaica’s history. The turnout was frankly astronomical and I am sure for many others present, astounding. Never have I in my 22 years of life been in a crowd of that magnitude. The JLP conference was clearly a tremendous success not only in terms of turnout but also in organization, content, passion and delivery.

GOOD GOVERNANCE
The highlight of the conference was the address by the Leader of the JLP, Dr. Bruce Golding. Dr. Golding laid out aspects of a broader plan to transform governance in Jamaica. I had stated in earlier articles that the primary problem facing our country is bad governance. Believe it or not rampant crime, a stagnant economy, a substandard education system and bad roads are all attributable to bad governance. If we had benefited from consistent and effective good governance we would not have been in the rut that we are now today. After approximately 18 consistent years of bad governance the result has been a stagnant economy, intolerably high levels of crime and violence, a substandard education system, poor health care and a litany of other economic and social problems.

HAM-FISTED LEADERSHIP
It is therefore important that well thinking Jamaicans go out to ensure that Jamaica is taken off the road of doom and gloom. It is patently clear that Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller is not only ham-fisted but also clearly unable to lead her own party. Her handling of state affairs has so far indicated to all and sundry that she is unfit for the office of Prime Minister. How else can one explain the Cement crisis, the Portmore toll road fiasco, the Sandals Whitehouse scandal, the Trafigura affair, the dramatic increase in political tension, cantankerous speeches, a government in shambles and several other failures and blunders on her part. To top it all off she makes frequent jaunts overseas, is frequently tardy or absent from Parliament and is afraid to face journalists. Already one prominent pro-PNP UWI academic had put forward the undoubtedly embarrassing proposal that Mrs. Simpson-Miller appoint a Deputy Prime Minister to handle the day-to-day operations of government.

A FIFTH TERM?
No well thinking Jamaican can honestly argue that Mrs. Simpson-Miller and her fractious jamboree of party faithful deserves a fifth consecutive term in government. Not only is it an illogical and heartless notion but an inept one at that. Dr. Golding and his united team offer the best chance for Jamaica at this time. Not only is the team more youthful but also far more erudite, far more proficient and far more imaginative. Just watch the nightly newscasts. The burst of energy that the upcoming JLP victory at the polls will give to Jamaica will most certainly propel Jamaica into a new age of development and transformation.

GOLDING’S PLAN
Dr. Golding in his speech laid out segments of the JLP’s plan to bring about authentic change. This plan might not include many hugs and kisses but entails a transformational plan for governance, as we know it.

Firstly, the plan consists of a new constitutional and political framework in which:

the people’s rights are entrenched and enshrined and the mechanisms are provided to enforce and protect those rights;

the powers of government are clearly defined and government is held firmly accountable;
to ensure greater stability in the political process by establishing a fixed election date and encourage greater renewal by imposing term limits for the office of Prime Minister;

there is greater separation of powers between the government and the Parliament by strengthening the role and expanding the powers of the Opposition in Parliament so that in certain critical areas, government cannot act unilaterally but can only do so with the agreement of the Opposition. The fact is that under the present Constitution the Cabinet decides what it wants and, where necessary, it goes to Gordon House where those on the government side dutifully rubber-stamp those decisions. If we are serious about building a new Jamaica this cannot be allowed to continue.

RIGHT THING TO DO
One must emphasize the fact that the JLP, which will form government, very soon has committed themselves to arrangements, which will limit the power of itself in government and strengthen the power of the Opposition. This commitment is being made because it is the right thing to do; it is essential to the new framework of governance for a new Jamaica, for a better life.

FORMIDABLE PLANS
Dr. Golding went on to list a raft of formidable plans to tackle some of Jamaica’s challenging problems. These include plans to address:

A failing justice system;
Corruption;
The effectiveness of political representatives;
Local government reform;
Education reform;
Agriculture;
Rural development;
Inner city development;
Crime;
Economy;
Government bureaucracy;
Labour market reform and productivity improvement;
Tourism development;
Social security;
National Housing Trust reform

CRITICAL JUNCTURE
These are just some the areas in which the JLP plans to reform governance. The entire vision is to be presented in the party’s new manifesto to be completed soon. Jamaica has again arrived at a critical juncture in its political history. It will most likely take the collective effort of well thinking Jamaicans like you to make a positive difference.

THE GOSPEL, THE REFORMATION

By Trevor Wanliss

A Government when elected, is expected to govern the nation collectively with wisdom. They study the prevailing economic and social condition, then activate policies.
The inhabitants become filled with their desire to succeed, as they set their goal on their desired object. Wise men charted a way to guide the people. At the beginning of such an era, harmonic existence became prevalent. Population grows, then space seems to become compact, as the world seems to get smaller, but coexistence continue on the freeway.
Then suddenly the world around us became a very untidy place, as quickly emerged a body of cunning, dangerous wicked and deceitful people with their immoral agendas. They have now proven such as buffoons, with their selfish and vicious actions. They plunder the coffers, they devastate as they dole out crumbs to the more unfortunate inhabitants, presenting them with the venom of manipulation.

For more than a decade and a half now they have been sending these subjects, scavenging for their very lives. One could never imagine the deplorable circumstances that many of these people encountered to survive. These rascals, after three terms of plundering, then at the beginning of the fourth term, their subjects became wise.
It is the hope that wisdom will prevail as they send these marauding reprobates into oblivion. They look down on the voters as perceived idiots.It is only in the jungles of Central Africa that I have seen such exploitation.
The main perpetrator, the HYENA, ---- and the hyena a vicious and UGLY creature, and one wonder if such an ugly being was created, and sent by God, or is it Medusa, one of the three Gorgon hideous sister, that was sent by God.
The Hyena is lending “lethal advice,” to the hideous Medusa. Medusa with the long false hair, is a product of the underworld, parading with sardonic gestures, hugging and kissing, making a mockery of especially poor people.
Beware ye folks you may be turned into stone from hugging and kisses.We can now see the Sunbeam gleaming through the dark passage, as one of the sons of God has arrived.Social, Economic Development, and prosperity is the trident in his arms, to return the country to it’s former glory.
Economic and Social Development is not just a promise, that is what he will administer, as the shining light of God our father surrounds him.

[Get in touch with Trevor Wanliss, the Envoy/Coordinator for the JLP in North America, P.O. Box 2092 Stone Mtn. Ga. 30086 and become a direct Overseas member]

MOTHER OF ALL SCANDALS

By ANDRÉ STEPHENS, Deputy General Secretary, MCYL

YET ANOTHER!!!!!!!!
Last week Tuesday, every honest-minded, tax-paying Jamaican must have cringed in his seat from the sick tide in his stomach, watching and listening to revelations by the Leader of the Opposition in parliament that evening that Trafigura, the company contracted by this government to lift and sell oil on behalf of the country, had in fact made a generous ‘donation’ to at least one account set up by Colin Campbell and the PNP for their personal campaigns.

The account balance shows Trafigura lodging $31 million on three separate occasions just before the PNP conference was held and more importantly, right before their contract with the government was due to be renewed. The official PNP response would have us believe that this kind-hearted, charitable organization based in Amsterdam and having no ties to the island except its contract to sell our oil, just wanted to give money to the party for no particular reason. Furthermore, they expect us to believe that the fact that the payment was made just before the PNP ministers decide to renew the contract is a mere coincidence.

TAKING US FOR FOOLS!
How they imagine us to be simplistic idiots willing to accept anything they say, but the sad reality is that there are many who have actually bought it. These are the people who put comrades before country and are as corrupt in thinking as the PNP is in doing! In their embarrassment, the PNP have gone on a smear campaign, maligning those who revealed the truth and threatening to sue the Opposition leader, the newspapers and anyone else who presses the issue. Let us recognize that Trafigura’s only interest in Jamaica is its selling of the oil we get from Nigeria; so its only interest in who forms the government must be related to its interest in Jamaica- OIL!

This company that is so kind to poor Portia and her ministers collects the valuable Nigerian oil worth US$60 a barrel, sells it on our behalf and gets about US$59.88 since we only earn all of 12 cents. With such an arrangement, especially since the company has been losing money from being convicted of crimes in both the US and the Côte d’Ivoire, one can see how Trafigura might feel it has to do what is necessary to keep its contractual arrangement with this PNP government.

MUST RESIGN!
On Sunday, Colin Campbell tendered his resignation as Minister of Information and Development, citing that he should have told the party secretariat about the monies received. This is the party’s futile attempt to dissociate the prime minister and those who staunchly defended Campbell’s actions from the scandal by having them plead ignorance. So they expect us to accept that Campbell unilaterally and without the party’s consent, accepted these monies and moreover, nobody bothered to ask where the money came from for the conference or even looked at the donations! This in itself would show incompetence on the part of the party’s leader and a disregard for her authority.

How many more monies have been sent to the party from questionable sources while Mrs. Simpson-Miller is asleep at its helm; but this, of course, is only if you can believe that she did not know that $31 million had been given to her campaign efforts. Surely the resignation of Campbell alone cannot suffice when, even after the evidence was presented, the PNP still said there was nothing wrong with this sleazy transaction. In any self-respecting democracy, a government caught in this scandal would have to resign, if not by their own doing, then at the behest of the people. As Mr. Golding has said:

“This government has acquired immunity to scandals but there comes a time when enough is enough. That time has come! It is time for this wretched government to go. This one needs no commission of inquiry. It needs no press conferences. It is beyond the scope of damage control. It needs only a simple decision – to do the honourable thing.”


But what if they don’t resign honourably? Then the people shall make them do it for the sake of every Jamaican who has chosen honesty over hanky-panky, probity over pilfering and generation. Let us therefore save Jamaica from itself.


TRAFIGURA AND ITS SCANDALS
Trafigura is a relatively new company (formed 1993) that has had a very eventful record. It was indicted in US Courts in the now infamous Iraq Oil-for-Food scandal, pleaded guilty and was fined US$8 million and ordered to forfeit US$9.9 million of oil shipments which were seized in the Caribbean sea in 2001 and falsely represented to be incompliance with UN Resolution 986. Included in the indictment was an affidavit which said that Trafigura shredded records of the oil purchase and replaced them with false documentation.

Trafigura and the Ivory Coast toxic waste scandal Approximately one month ago Trafigura was implicated in the dumping of tons of toxic waste on the streets of Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Eight persons died as a result and thousands had to receive medical attention. It led to the resignation of the entire Cabinet.

It is clearly not true that honour resides only in Westminster. It obviously resides also in Abidjan. Two senior executives of Trafigura were arrested and charged with poisoning and violation of toxic waste laws and are still in custody.
-as quoted by Bruce Golding

A SAD SITUATION

By Trevor Wanliss

WITH the elections around the corner, Portia announces that she will spend $635M to give 12,000 people jobs over the next few months. Isn’t this another method of presenting the pork barrel? Isn’t this another Crash Program? How can there be any hope of economic development for Jamaica, as such expenditures do not contribute anything to the G.D.P.

The people need jobs, yes to take care of their families… to put food on the table, to send their children to school, for clothing and other amenities. All this, never came to their minds, since the last General Elections, nor to her for the 17 years in office, only now. There was so much complacency for the “Gully Bank System". To win an election, by picking out 12,000 people at an average income of approximately $53,000 might be to some satisfying. What of the time between the coming elections and the other 5 years to come.

The people of Jamaica have been suffering too long, languishing in poverty, as no provision has been made to give especially the children, proper education. Most people are kept at a standard given crumbs that the can be manipulated at election times like now. They should have nipped corruption in the bud. The rest of those in the UDC should be fired. Just look at the reports. Aren’t the Auditor General and the Contractor General reliable and responsible persons?

The Commerce minister, the Foreign Trade Minister, in conjunction with the Finance and the Agriculture minister should have been seeking markets abroad for the products of the farmers, especially, in order for them to have had gainful returns, instead to having the greater portions of their crops rotting in the field, not having market to take it off. In July of 1998 at the Jamaica Conference center in Kingston as the Gleaner carries the Minister of Agriculture in a speech condemning the Jamaican Workers as “the laziest people on earth". They have said it then and they are capable of repeating it again. The people need training in the production sector.

The P.M speaks that Omar is balancing the books. For many years he has failed in balancing the books properly. An escalating balance of payment like a "Run-a-way Train". This balancing will never be accomplished. You are only hearing of COST OVER RUN. The Economy is vital, Health care is vital, Education is vital, Security is vital. Abolish the Gully Bank system.

All this is Primitive.Abolish the oppressive bank interest rates. Give the Private Sector a more recognizable role in moving the economy forward. Government in lassez faire fashion to come in only when there is need to correct the in adequacies.

A JLP Government with a Golding lead Administration, is the only hope for improved educational system, for better health care facilities , for improved security, for improved Economic conditions where there will be attractive investments both local and foreign, that JAMAICANS and not Foreigners will be able to get jobs instead of standinng outside the work place looking in.

A sad situation.

[Get in touch with Trevor Wanliss, the Envoy/Coordinator for the JLP in North America, P.O. Box 2092 Stone Mtn. Ga. 30086 and become a direct Overseas member]