Calls for Jamaica to leave CARICOM

[Habit7]

Let's Leave CARICOM - Mair

Published: Monday | April 23, 2012

NORTH EAST St Catherine Member of Parliament Gregory Mair has stopped short of suggesting that Jamaica cease from being a member of CARICOM.

"Probably we should start putting Jamaica first... put Jamaica first," said Mair, while pointing to statistics furnished by Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Anthony Hylton, which shows Jamaica with a massive trade deficit when compared to Trinidad and Tobago.

The data shows that in 2010, Jamaica's trade deficit with Trinidad and Tobago stood at US$702 million. The trade deficit widened from US$616 million in 2009.

Of CARICOM countries, Jamaica had a trade surplus in 2010 with Antigua and Barbuda (US$4.9 million), Grenada (US$1.8 million), Monsterrat (US$500,000), St Kitts (US$3.2 million) and St Vincent (US$2.4 million).

"Taking into consideration that policy is set to ensure that we do what is in the best interest of our people, taking into consideration that of the approximately five million members of CARICOM we, Jamaica, are three million. What has this arrangement with CARICOM, what has been the advantage, the benefit for the people of Jamaica?" Mair asked.

"What is the benefit for our people for this arrangement," added Mair, who is also the spokesman on industry, commerce and energy.

In responding to the suggestion, Hylton said Jamaica has a trade deficit with almost every country in the world and firms must put themselves in competitive position so that they can take advantage of markets.

He also said that it is critical that Jamaica's energy cost be lowered in order to enhance competitiveness.

Jamaica has a trade deficit with almost every country in the world and firms must put themselves in competitive position so that they can take advantage of markets.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2012 ... lead9.html

[VexXx Dogg]

Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

[crazybalhead]

Steups. Hot air.

[Stephon.]

Lmfao bye and take kartel and rfari with you.

[Habit7]

This is a direct stab at Trinidad

Jamaica over the last couple years is facing an "invasion" by Trinis who buy up their failing businesses and seize top executive jobs in large companies. Jamaicans consider Trinis as small islanders so the fact that we are being so 'frontish' hurting the ego of many Jamaicans.

[Dizzy28]

Let them go. They always had a problem ever since federeration days.

[Habit7]

Let's Hold Off On Leaving CARICOM!
Published: Tuesday | April 24, 2012 45 Comments

Brian Pengelley, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association. - File
BRIAN PENGELLEY, the president of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), is warning that walking away from membership in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would not solve the vexing issue of trade imbalance.

"It is a drastic move and it is something that we would need to think very, very carefully about," Pengelley told The Gleaner yesterday.

Last week, Gregory Mair, the opposition spokesman on industry, commerce and energy, questioned the benefit of Jamaica remaining a member of CARICOM.

"Taking into consideration that policy is set to ensure that we do what is in the best interest of our people, taking into consideration that of the approximately five million members of CARICOM, we, Jamaica, are three million, what has this arrangement with CARICOM, what has been the advantage, the benefit for the people of Jamaica?" Mair had asked.

"What is the benefit for our people for this arrangement," he added while reacting to trade data presented to the Parliament by Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Anthony Hylton.

Free of illusions

Yesterday, Pengelley told The Gleaner that Jamaican manufacturers were under no illusions about the benefit of CARICOM, but cautioned that the country should not rush out of the arrangement.

"We have to acknowledge that CARICOM is not working for us at this time, but the big question for us would be how do we make it work before we actually walk away from it," Pengelley said.

The data presented by Hylton, following questions tabled by Mair, show that in 2010 Jamaica's trade deficit with Trinidad and Tobago stood at US$702 million. The trade deficit widened from US$616 million in 2009.

Of CARICOM countries, Jamaica had a trade surplus in 2010 with Antigua and Barbuda (US$4.9 million), Grenada (US$1.8 million), Montserrat (US$500,000), St Kitts (US$3.2 million) and St Vincent (US$2.4 million).

Pengelley said the numbers were horrible, but argued that if Jamaicans buy Jamaican products it could go a far way in reversing the trade deficit.

"We are pushing buy Jamaican and I think it is the question that everyone of us - consumers, companies - must ask ourselves: How are we going to think and buy Jamaican-made products first before we buy something externally?"

Pengelley argued that if Jamaicans buy Jamaican it could create opportunities for companies in other CARICOM countries to partner with Jamaican companies.

Arguing that walking away would have to be a last resort, Pengelley said there were certain things the country must do to take advantage of the opportunities presented by CARICOM.

No drastic move just yet

"We should all get together and decide what are those steps and give this thing a full airing before we take such a drastic move."

Under the treaty of Chaguaramas, CARICOM member states enjoy non-tariff access to trade and unlimited access to markets. Jamaican manufacturers have argued that the cost for energy has affected their efficiency levels and that they are not able to compete with the likes of Trinidad and Tobago.

The resentment of many Jamaicans towards CARICOM has been steadily building. During the recent discussion of the Green Paper on tax reform in Parliament, Rohan Sharpe, who operates within the free zone, argued that there is not a level playing field with Jamaican exports to CARICOM and its imports.

He said Jamaica needs to re-examine its membership in CARICOM and that the Government should consider imposing duties on imports from other CARICOM countries.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2012 ... lead2.html

[ismithx]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

[Dizzy28]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

Caricom have 15 full members

[rfari]

Lmfao bye and take kartel and rfari with you.

Foq-up yute

Let them go anyhow. Pride will be the end of them. And the imf

[zoom rader]

They cant go, where will we get our herbs from?

[Bizzare]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

Caricom have 15 full members

he didn't do form 6. ease up nah buddy.

[nemisis]

They cant go, where will we get our herbs from?

Moruga

[rfari]

They cant go, where will we get our herbs from?

Moruga

This

[equipped2ripp]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

dafuq I hearing here

[Habit7]

A newspaper comic from the Jamaica Observer

[Habit7]

[Monk BANzai]

^^^^ interesting re: the signing of LNG contracts..

Thanks Habit..

[UML]

like dey wah we give dem back the ATM card?

[Sky]

This is a direct stab at Trinidad

Jamaica over the last couple years is facing an "invasion" by Trinis who buy up their failing businesses and seize top executive jobs in large companies. Jamaicans consider Trinis as small islanders so the fact that we are being so 'frontish' hurting the ego of many Jamaicans.

Actually the former finance minister there said that we benifit from caricom arrangements and not them, and they should pull out. The articles you posted were people trying to be slight on the issue, and covering up true feelings.

[sharkman121]

A newspaper comic from the Jamaica Observer

This picture speaks far more than 1000 words.

[geodude]

odd that they left out Appleton from that cartoon

[Kiro_lee]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

dafuq I hearing here

an Eric Williams quote, ismithx obviously doesnt know that it has nothing to do with CARICOM.

[cacasplat3]

^^^^ interesting re: the signing of LNG contracts..

Thanks Habit..

from what i know....jam pays 10X what we pay for electricity, because their power is produced from heavy fuel oil.......this in turn makes almost everything much more expensive.....food, clothing, utilities etc.

to help lower the cost, they wanted to do something that other countries (UK, Colombia, Argentina, US, Kuwait) were doing.....which was get a system in place where they can use natural gas........they approached Trinidad, asking if we could supply the gas, and since the economy is slowing, we gladly agreed.....

now this is where jam shot themselves in the foot......

since we can't supply gas by pipeline and building a reception terminal is too expensive for them, they invited tenders asking for companies to bid on setting up a re-gas (turning LNG back to natural gas) plant to supply their power stations......pretty much, all the Jamaicans have to do is run an inland pipeline to their power stations and the company will supply the natural gas directly from one of their specialized LNG tankers that would be permanently moored and connected to their gas mains......and they pay a fixed fee for the company's services.
in the end the company who won the bid, was exposed by the then opposition as being privy to information, and hence they won the bidding process.......
so the whole thing collapsed, and they were stuck with high manufacturing prices.....

so now the entire process had to be redone.....and apparently the same company won the bid again........but the infrastructure wont be finished until sometime in 2014.......almost 2 years later than originally planned........it is something they could have done 8 years ago, because that is when the tech came about.......but they dragged their feet and tried some under-hand dealings.......nobody to blame but themselves...........

[Sky]

^^^ Interesting.
Where you got this info though?

[zcarz]

then 1 from 10 is 0.....

[UML]

Again we see Jamaica has a problems with Trinidad with the illegal immigrant issue and now deportation of Abu Bakr (i agree with them on Abu Bakr).

But honestly I think CSME & CARICOM is a farce...a PNM farce to voter pad t&t.

The ppl for it/pnm like to use the excuse that we benefit with exports and jobs regionally but I think they pulling wool over our eyes but I ask the question who benefits most from it? Trinidad or them? Everyone coming here to work and make jobs for Trinis harder to get.
More importantly, I would like to highlight that we have no big agreement/ relationship binding us with the US or China for exports yet we still do so much business with them. So if the other islands want our products they will buy it jump high jump low because it will be cheaper and they will buy it nevertheless. Remember Jamaica wanted to stop buying Trini products with the ATM comments, what happen? Nw they want to come live here

Now we hearing the excuse trinis too lazy and we should continue importing illegal labour to do the jobs any thing to achieve the pnm goal and intentions

[boxy]

Again we see Jamaica has a problems with Trinidad with the illegal immigrant issue and now deportation of Abu Bakr (i agree with them on Abu Bakr).

But honestly I think CSME & CARICOM is a farce...a PNM farce to voter pad t&t.

The ppl for it/pnm like to use the excuse that we benefit with exports and jobs regionally but I think they pulling wool over our eyes but I ask the question who benefits most from it? Trinidad or them? Everyone coming here to work and make jobs for Trinis harder to get.
More importantly, I would like to highlight that we have no big agreement/ relationship binding us with the US or China for exports yet we still do so much business with them. So if the other islands want our products they will buy it jump high jump low because it will be cheaper and they will buy it nevertheless. Remember Jamaica wanted to stop buying Trini products with the ATM comments, what happen? Nw they want to come live here

Now we hearing the excuse trinis too lazy and we should continue importing illegal labour to do the jobs any thing to achieve the pnm goal and intentions

How is this a PN..... You know what fork it

[shake d livin wake d dead]

They cant go, where will we get our herbs from?

Moruga

This

Biche and Matelot

[fouljuice]

Penal.