Dear Editor,
Every once in a while one of our leaders dishes out a soundbyte, imploring us to "buy Jamaican" or "eat Jamaican". The most recent case is the health minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, and before him it was the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association president, Brian Pengelley. I suspect most of the time they know that what they are saying rings hollow, but they still have to say it because it is the politically correct thing to do.
I am one of the first to admit that these thoughts and sentiments are admirable, but how practical are they in Jamaica today? It doesn't take knowledge of rocket science to figure out why they don't gain any traction. I can recall a time in the not-too-distant past when cement was coming from halfway around the world and still being sold for less than that being produced here in Jamaica.
The same is true today of farm produce. If goods coming into the country are of better quality, more attractively packaged, and cost less than those produced here, what choice will any rational consumer make? Granted, not all imported goods meet those criteria, but the spending public is making decisions based primarily on its disposable income. Could this be one of the reasons the government is having primary school textbooks printed overseas instead of here?
While it may be that the cost of inputs such as electricity, transport, security, and all the rest do help to inflate the price for which local stuff is sold, those things are of little concern to the average Jamaican trying to maximise the spend of their hard-earned dollar. Certainly, we all would like to be patriotic and support our local farmers, manufacturers et al, but this ought not be to our detriment.
I believe if these leaders were to use their clout to agitate for the production of better quality local goods, cheaper input costs, and ultimately more competitive prices, their cause would be better served.
Robert Mitchell
Christiana, Manchester
mitcib@yahoo.ca
Not to our detriment...
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Every once in a while one of our leaders dishes out a soundbyte, imploring us to "buy Jamaican" or "eat Jamaican". The most recent case is the health minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, and before him it was the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association president, Brian Pengelley. I suspect most of the time they know that what they are saying rings hollow, but they still have to say it because it is the politically correct thing to do.
I am one of the first to admit that these thoughts and sentiments are admirable, but how practical are they in Jamaica today? It doesn't take knowledge of rocket science to figure out why they don't gain any traction. I can recall a time in the not-too-distant past when cement was coming from halfway around the world and still being sold for less than that being produced here in Jamaica.
The same is true today of farm produce. If goods coming into the country are of better quality, more attractively packaged, and cost less than those produced here, what choice will any rational consumer make? Granted, not all imported goods meet those criteria, but the spending public is making decisions based primarily on its disposable income. Could this be one of the reasons the government is having primary school textbooks printed overseas instead of here?
While it may be that the cost of inputs such as electricity, transport, security, and all the rest do help to inflate the price for which local stuff is sold, those things are of little concern to the average Jamaican trying to maximise the spend of their hard-earned dollar. Certainly, we all would like to be patriotic and support our local farmers, manufacturers et al, but this ought not be to our detriment.
I believe if these leaders were to use their clout to agitate for the production of better quality local goods, cheaper input costs, and ultimately more competitive prices, their cause would be better served.
Robert Mitchell
Christiana, Manchester
mitcib@yahoo.ca
Not to our detriment...
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