PROUD JAMAICANS

Feb 24, 2013 News

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By Ralph Seeram

 

“Jamaica is a beautiful country man; but you have to come see yourself” my fellow passenger seated next to me was telling the other person at the other end of the phone in typical Jamaican accent. So began my trip to Jamaica last week on Caribbean Airlines.

There is nothing more annoying on an airplane then someone chatting away loudly on a cell phone. The plane attendants had already given instruction to turn off cell phones but she kept chatting away on the virtues of Jamaica.

When I am flying, the first thing I want to do is get some “shut eye” and I was beginning to get the feeling this was not going to happen. Have you ever travelled on a plane trying to sleep next to someone who wants to talk? I was beginning to feel that this was not going to be a pleasant two-hour flight. I made sure our eyes did not meet to give her an opening to start a conversation.

Oh and another thing airlines should really charge for two seats, passengers whose rear end, arms and shoulders cannot be confined within their seats.

On checking in at Orlando the ticketing clerk made a fuss over my carry-on being overweight by just five pounds, but allowed this woman who was at least 100lbs overweight and occupied my space. Airlines are very fussy about weight. I can see in the future airlines charging passengers by weight instead of per seat. I will have no problem with that, I can see myself paying half the fare of the woman next to me. After all, I am less than 130lbs.

Fortunately for me she dozed away for the rest of the flight. In Jamaica I tried to engage people in conversation to get the feel of the country, read the newspapers get an idea of the politics etc. The thing that is occupying the minds of Jamaicans is the IMF imposition of some strict if not drastic conditions in order to rescue the Jamaican economy.

Unlike Guyana’s the Jamaican economy is very unhealthy; to put it mildly, no way close the healthy economy Guyana enjoys at the moment. As one political figure put it Jamaicans will have to take “bitter medicine”.

One of my observations was that Jamaicans are very proud of their country despite all its economic problems. Unlike Guyanese who “moan and bitch” about everything bad about the country, and sometimes do not appear to be proud of being Guyanese, Jamaicans are the opposite. They take their problems in stride with a sense of reality.

Let me cite what may look insignificant but means a lot. I was purchasing some items in Jamaica. The clerk saw the rubber band I had holding some documents burst. He quickly brought some rubber bands for me. They were coloured rubber bands, and then I realized they were the colour of the Jamaican flag. That’s patriotism there.

Even the business community displays its support for the Government in tackling the economic situation to confirm with the IMF rules. For instance, the IMF demanded that the Jamaican Government renegotiate its loans, bonds with the private sector.

Let me give you an idea of how loyal and cooperative to their Country the private sector in Jamaica is. Three years ago the Jamaican government entered into an agreement with the IMF to reform the economy. Part of the package was that the local bond holders renegotiate their loans and bond with a view to cutting the interest rate returns.

The business community cooperated. However the then Jamaican government did not live up to the agreement and the agreement floundered. Fast forward three years, the Jamaican economy is almost bankrupt, and the new Jamaican government has turned to the IMF again.  One of the requirements again was for local investors take in cut in interest rate for the money the government has borrowed. Again the Jamaican private sector has responded, I am talking here of billions of dollars. Some banks pointed out that they just made sacrifices three years ago and are being asked again to make painful sacrifices.

Never the less, they responded. At last count over 98 per cent of the banks agreed to take a cut in the interest rate in order to help the Jamaican economy. Can you imagine if the Guyana government, as the business community did, was to make such a sacrifice? You would never hear the end of it.

But back to my trip, some of you Guyanese who think you are badly off should visit Jamaica. If you think the worst you have is a “plastic city” you should see the one in Jamaica. But don’t get me wrong, there are the mansions on the hills.

My host who lived below the mountains gave me a tour of the enclaves of the rich and you wonder how can there be such a disparity between the rich and poor. Not that it’s not in Guyana, but I think it is on a much grander scale in Jamaica.

My host also has been speaking about the paradise Jamaica is. In my short stay I have not heard one Jamaican “bad talk” the country. They may criticize the government, but are loyal to their country. I come to Guyana and find some people have no sense of patriotism. I must confess that I find the cost of living to be lower than Guyana, especially food items as well as imported products. The business environment is very competitive and major US companies as well as Latin American conglomerates have established themselves there.

Oh and by the way, while the Guyana government is embroiled defending the Marriott deal and keeping out the Guyana labor force, I was travelling on one of the roads the Chinese built in Jamaica, which I pointed out to my host, who with a sarcastic smile “what road”. He then went on to tell me of the inferior quality of the road. So much for skill of the Chinese.

Of course the Skeldon sugar factory is a perfect example of how skilled the Chinese are– three years running and it still needs fixing.

I mentioned the fact that the Chinese did not employ any Guyanese at the Marriott construction site; he was amazed that this could happen. Asked if this could have happened in Jamaica he replied, “Nah, no way man. We soon run dem out the country.”

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected]

 

 

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