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LETTER OF THE DAY - Wounded posturing
Published: Tuesday | June 16, 2009
The Editor, Sir:
I read with deep concern Tyrone Reid's article in The Sunday Gleaner headlined 'Trade transgressions'. May I draw your attention to a number of facts.
For over 10 years (from 1992) I tried to purchase two 40-ft containers of oranges each week for a major importer of fruit and vegetables in Barbados. I contacted the Jamaica Citrus Growers and could never get access or approval for these oranges. In the meantime, the Bajan importer was importing oranges from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Florida, California and Chile.
For the last eight to nine years I have been trying to get Jablum to export Blue Mountain Coffee to Barbados where hotels and restaurants were importing and serving processed coffee from Germany. I have been totally ignored.
For the last 10 years I have also been trying on behalf of clients in Barbados who wanted to import two 20-ft containers of Jamaican patties a week. I was told by one manufacturer that they could not because their manufacturing plant did not meet the international standards required.
These three efforts are among many made by Barbadian business houses to purchase products from Jamaica. They were ignored by most Jamaican manufacturers in the past who had no interest in the rest of the Caribbean. Apparently Jamaica businessmen have just awakened from their slumber since bauxite, bananas and sugar are no longer available.
Let me ask you some questions. Have you seen Barbadian, Trinidadian or Guyanese rum in any supermarket in Jamaica? Have you ever seen Carib or Banks Beer on any supermarket shelf in Jamaica? Have you ever seen the music
of the Eastern Caribbean on sale in Jamaican record shops? I used to supply radio stations and DJs with Bajan music free of cost until the shift from LPs to CDs took place. I had to stop because of the amount of duty that I was then charged although the music still qualified under CARICOM as a Caribbean product.
Global protocols
You quote Samuda as saying "You go to Barbados and they want to know how long you are staying, and you are not allowed to stay beyond a certain time." Is this unusual? The US, the UK and Jamaica do it.
I have responded briefly to these comments because it seems to me that the comments by Minister Samuda, among others are symptomatic of the level of ignorance that exists among politicians in the Caribbean about each other.
Former Barbadian Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford proposed several years ago that there should be regular meetings of Caribbean parliamentarians to keep them abreast of various issues related to Caribbean integration. This is a costly exercise, but is a necessity to avoid this high level of political ignorance and wounded posturing.
I am, etc.,
ELOMBE
elombe@cwjamaica.com Gordon Town
Published: Tuesday | June 16, 2009
The Editor, Sir:
I read with deep concern Tyrone Reid's article in The Sunday Gleaner headlined 'Trade transgressions'. May I draw your attention to a number of facts.
For over 10 years (from 1992) I tried to purchase two 40-ft containers of oranges each week for a major importer of fruit and vegetables in Barbados. I contacted the Jamaica Citrus Growers and could never get access or approval for these oranges. In the meantime, the Bajan importer was importing oranges from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Florida, California and Chile.
For the last eight to nine years I have been trying to get Jablum to export Blue Mountain Coffee to Barbados where hotels and restaurants were importing and serving processed coffee from Germany. I have been totally ignored.
For the last 10 years I have also been trying on behalf of clients in Barbados who wanted to import two 20-ft containers of Jamaican patties a week. I was told by one manufacturer that they could not because their manufacturing plant did not meet the international standards required.
These three efforts are among many made by Barbadian business houses to purchase products from Jamaica. They were ignored by most Jamaican manufacturers in the past who had no interest in the rest of the Caribbean. Apparently Jamaica businessmen have just awakened from their slumber since bauxite, bananas and sugar are no longer available.
Let me ask you some questions. Have you seen Barbadian, Trinidadian or Guyanese rum in any supermarket in Jamaica? Have you ever seen Carib or Banks Beer on any supermarket shelf in Jamaica? Have you ever seen the music
of the Eastern Caribbean on sale in Jamaican record shops? I used to supply radio stations and DJs with Bajan music free of cost until the shift from LPs to CDs took place. I had to stop because of the amount of duty that I was then charged although the music still qualified under CARICOM as a Caribbean product.
Global protocols
You quote Samuda as saying "You go to Barbados and they want to know how long you are staying, and you are not allowed to stay beyond a certain time." Is this unusual? The US, the UK and Jamaica do it.
I have responded briefly to these comments because it seems to me that the comments by Minister Samuda, among others are symptomatic of the level of ignorance that exists among politicians in the Caribbean about each other.
Former Barbadian Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford proposed several years ago that there should be regular meetings of Caribbean parliamentarians to keep them abreast of various issues related to Caribbean integration. This is a costly exercise, but is a necessity to avoid this high level of political ignorance and wounded posturing.
I am, etc.,
ELOMBE
elombe@cwjamaica.com Gordon Town
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