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BY RHOMA THOMLINSON
Friday, February 27, 2009
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Finance Minister Audley Shaw has given notice to importers that he will be slashing the number of waivers on imported food items coming into the country, and hinted at possible tax breaks being unveiled in this year's budget for persons interested in going into the productive sector.
Audley Shaw
Too much imported food
Addressing PC bank officials at the organisation's annual general meeting held at the Kendal Conference Centre, Shaw said he was sick and tired of signing waivers for imported food.
"Everybody want waivers, waivers for vegetables, waivers for peppers to put in the processing, waiver for every conceivable thing, waiver for meats of all kinds. I am sick and tired of signing waivers for imported goods that we together as a people can produce right here in Jamaica. Mark my word, I'm going to do something about it," the finance minister said.
He added that come April, when the new budget is unveiled, the Government would be sending a signal, "that we are going to open up a pathway for anyone who dares to risk and invest and produce. We have to dedicate ourselves to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet, for anyone who is going into producing in this country."
Hinting at possible tax breaks for persons wishing to go into production, Minister Shaw said "when we talk about tax reforms, it cannot be that we are just talking about how much more we are trying to extract out of your pocket. Tax reform also has to mean, how can we create more incentives for production."
Shaw said the high cost of foods imported into the island was helping to push up tourism costs for some hoteliers. He said during discussions with one of the operators of a Spanish Hotel chain here in Jamaica, he had discovered that the hotel's cost to maintain a tourist per day was US$80, as opposed to US$40 in some other countries. "Why? Because we are not producing the food in Jamaica. We are not producing and planes are coming in with the food, ships are coming in.what we have got to do is to make the conditions right so that we can encourage people - including young people - to go back into farming in a serious way," he said.
While noting suggestions that waivers on imported food were necessary because "it's poor people food", the minister said a balance must be found.
Turning to the issue of credit to small farmers, the finance minister chided the PC banks for lending only three to five per cent of its J$1.8 billion to small farmers. "What is that? What is three to five per cent of J$1.8 billion, it is less than 100 million dollars. It is a disgrace. Something must be done about it." He said his ministry has started the process by bringing some money into the Jamaica Business Development Centre and by asking the credit unions to come on board. "The moment is now, we cannot delay the need for getting back to self-reliance and getting back to a sense of food security, where we produce what we eat. we for too long in this country haven't been creating wealth. consuming, but not consuming what we produce. Like a runaway train, we've been consuming the productive output of others."
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magaz...RS___SHAW_.asp
Friday, February 27, 2009
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Finance Minister Audley Shaw has given notice to importers that he will be slashing the number of waivers on imported food items coming into the country, and hinted at possible tax breaks being unveiled in this year's budget for persons interested in going into the productive sector.
Audley Shaw Too much imported food
Addressing PC bank officials at the organisation's annual general meeting held at the Kendal Conference Centre, Shaw said he was sick and tired of signing waivers for imported food.
"Everybody want waivers, waivers for vegetables, waivers for peppers to put in the processing, waiver for every conceivable thing, waiver for meats of all kinds. I am sick and tired of signing waivers for imported goods that we together as a people can produce right here in Jamaica. Mark my word, I'm going to do something about it," the finance minister said.
He added that come April, when the new budget is unveiled, the Government would be sending a signal, "that we are going to open up a pathway for anyone who dares to risk and invest and produce. We have to dedicate ourselves to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet, for anyone who is going into producing in this country."
Hinting at possible tax breaks for persons wishing to go into production, Minister Shaw said "when we talk about tax reforms, it cannot be that we are just talking about how much more we are trying to extract out of your pocket. Tax reform also has to mean, how can we create more incentives for production."
Shaw said the high cost of foods imported into the island was helping to push up tourism costs for some hoteliers. He said during discussions with one of the operators of a Spanish Hotel chain here in Jamaica, he had discovered that the hotel's cost to maintain a tourist per day was US$80, as opposed to US$40 in some other countries. "Why? Because we are not producing the food in Jamaica. We are not producing and planes are coming in with the food, ships are coming in.what we have got to do is to make the conditions right so that we can encourage people - including young people - to go back into farming in a serious way," he said.
While noting suggestions that waivers on imported food were necessary because "it's poor people food", the minister said a balance must be found.
Turning to the issue of credit to small farmers, the finance minister chided the PC banks for lending only three to five per cent of its J$1.8 billion to small farmers. "What is that? What is three to five per cent of J$1.8 billion, it is less than 100 million dollars. It is a disgrace. Something must be done about it." He said his ministry has started the process by bringing some money into the Jamaica Business Development Centre and by asking the credit unions to come on board. "The moment is now, we cannot delay the need for getting back to self-reliance and getting back to a sense of food security, where we produce what we eat. we for too long in this country haven't been creating wealth. consuming, but not consuming what we produce. Like a runaway train, we've been consuming the productive output of others."
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magaz...RS___SHAW_.asp
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