One set create the mess, the other set affi karreck it.

[Lazie]

Commerce Minister takes steps to stem cement shortage

Industry and Commerce Minister Karl Samuda has instructed that immediate steps be taken to avert a shortfall in the supply of cement in the local market.

A statement issued by the Ministry Tuesday night indicated that the projected demand for cement over the next two months might exceed supply from local production and imports.

Following a meeting with importers at his Ministry Tuesday, Mr. Samuda ordered that 5,000 tons of cement being held in inventory be immediately distributed to the market.

In addition, the Minister is to lead talks regarding the removal of some importation fees and the provision of concessions for cement importers.

He says this will facilitate the importation of an additional 60,000 tons of cement over the next eight weeks.

The Minister says he has not been able to get an assurance from Caribbean Cement that it can increase production above 75,000 tons to alleviate the shortfall.

Caribbean Cement has called a press conference for Wednesday morning to give an update on the current supply in the market.

The company was at the centre of controversy a year ago following the release of poor quality cement and a subsequent shortage of supply.

[Willi]

Jamaica needs to renationalize all our prize assets that we sell to foreigners.

At the rate at which they show inefficiencies and price gouging, even the inept JPS and the like were better. What is the use of all these farriners? Dem tek weh Banks from the Jakan entrepreneurs ova pallitiks and run go sell farrinah dem fi come lord it over us, while screwing us. Cement company, Mirant, LOJ etc come to mind.

Steeeuppps.

[Mosiah]

Agree 100%.

[Karl]

Jamaica needs to renationalize all our prize assets that we sell to foreigners.

At the rate at which they show inefficiencies and price gouging, even the inept JPS and the like were better. What is the use of all these farriners? Dem tek weh Banks from the Jakan entrepreneurs ova pallitiks and run go sell farrinah dem fi come lord it over us, while screwing us. Cement company, Mirant, LOJ etc come to mind.

Steeeuppps.

Even those that go under - JOS...and, those staying afloat through tremendous throwing of funds down a dark hole - Air Jamaica...
What is it why we cannot run these enterprises well?

[Willi]

Because the PNP started a trend of politicizing these things in the 1970s. When you stuff them full of sycophants that are unqualified, but have the right loyalty, what you get is a slow grind to a halt. Pickersgill Committee was the start of all this crap. We have to be honest and admit this.

We have capable Jakans of all political stripes, but they can never operate to their best when deluged with party hack in influential postions that are operating way over their level of incompetence.

From now on, we need to decry this whichever party is found guilty of this malpractice. Dont believe that JLP is immune to this, as they both pick up bad habits from each other.

[Karl]

Because the PNP started a trend of politicizing these things in the 1970s. When you stuff them full of sycophants that are unqualified, but have the right loyalty, what you get is a slow grind to a halt. Pickersgill Committee was the start of all this crap. We have to be honest and admit this.

We have capable Jakans of all political stripes, but they can never operate to their best when deluged with party hack in influential postions that are operating way over their level of incompetence.

From now on, we need to decry this whichever party is found guilty of this malpractice. Dont believe that JLP is immune to this, as they both pick up bad habits from each other.

It certainly appears that those chosen to manager these entities where way over their heads - ...but, any person who claims party hacks were appointed to run the entities must be dreaming.

The PNP created and all previous governments - JLP and PNP - set up quasi-government bodies as boards or other oversight entities. The boards themselves were never the entities managing these entities on a day to day basis.

Surely boards and those other oversight entities play a very important part...even a vital part...but, after an initial setting of goals and broad policy directions as it is in every business it is the person or persons handling the day to day operations who then play the major role.

Implementation arises at that day to day management level and feed-back that guides the oversight entity to make moves to strengthen and or modify or even to change course where policy is concerned flow from that same day to day management level. It is the managers on the ground, I would suggest, that has had us reaping failures.

The problems we encounter right across the island with level of services and goods delivered by our managers - from civil service and quasi-government entities through private sector entities perhaps points to an endemic problem. True it is that Jamaica is an extremely small country and the pool to draw our managers from is small...but, we like to boast of our ability to get things done...I also have firm belief in this...but, after Independence through to the present while there are examples of successes, the %age successes gained and level of successes gained managing so many of what should be national prized assets and delivery of services and goods gives pause.

We can only accept the saying that the PNP or JLP or more broadly successive governments have promoted followers to positions of management that brought us failures on such a wide scale by accepting there is a paupacy of Jamaicans with the ability to manage. ...or horrors of horrors come to a realisation that we have not the numbers of persons needed with the requisite ability to manage all our many private and public entities in a competent manner? Certainly the majority of our people have a preference for one party or the other even if that preference changes from occasion to occasion and it is such a pool our managers must be drawn.

[Mosiah]

It certainly appears that those chosen to manager these entities where way over their heads - ...but, any person who claims party hacks were appointed to run the entities must be dreaming.

The PNP created and all previous governments - JLP and PNP - set up quasi-government bodies as boards or other oversight entities. The boards themselves were never the entities managing these entities on a day to day basis.

Surely boards and those other oversight entities play a very important part...even a vital part...but, after an initial setting of goals and broad policy directions as it is in every business it is the person or persons handling the day to day operations who then play the major role.

Are you serious? Do you know the influence of some of these board chairpersons?!? Karl, I and my family live it every day here. How dare you try and tell me what a gwaan here!

[Karl]

Are you serious? Do you know the influence of some of these board chairpersons?!? Karl, I and my family live it every day here. How dare you try and tell me what a gwaan here!

Influence?

It must be strong! ...but, where do they get the info to shape direction influence is used after that initial first policy directive?

btw - I meet in the flesh, here in Florida some very few of those board members - Government and private sector. 'Seem to all bleed blood', just as I do!

btw -You may be surprised to know that some live here in Florida.

[Mosiah]

Wouldn't surprise me. That's where they have their health coverage, paid for by yours truly!