Dear Editor,
The last I heard the only legal tender in Jamaica is the Jamaican dollar. If that remains true, how is it that some businesses are allowed to advertise goods and services while quoting prices and collecting payment in US dollars without any form of repercussion.
Over the weekend I was approached by a promotional sales representative offering package deals to one of our local attractions. Upon examining the document, I was surprised to see that all entry prices were quoted in US dollars.
I flatly refused the offer without hesitating to calculate the J$ equivalent as I felt insulted by the fact that this Jamaican attraction, having opened its doors to the public over 10 years ago, should now be quoting US$ prices to locals residents when all their operating expenses were in Jamaican dollars. This should not be allowed to happen at all.
I understand about the demand for the United States currency and the need to peg their operational cost to the US$ in order to counter inflation, but quoting entry ticket prices in US$ is downright disrespectful to all Jamaicans to say the least.
The tourism sector is the main culprit in this regard. The little they offer by way of employment and the use of some local produce is by no means a good trade-off compared to the billions of tax dollars that is pumped into the industry yearly by successive governments to promote the island as a tourist destination only to be scuffed at and treated like a bastard child when visiting some if these locations. All because we are not spending US$.
If the Jamaican currency is the only legal tender in Jamaica, why should these businesses be allowed to flaunt the law without consequences, while we prosecute others for far less offences. This kind of double standard by those elected to lead sets the stage for the kind of lawlessness that exist in our society today.
Personally, I have nothing against investors coming here to set up businesses. The question is, should they be allowed to quote prices in a currency other than that which is legal tender in the country?
Little by little we are being robbed of our identity.
Hotshots
myviews50@hotmail.com
These US$ price tags
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The last I heard the only legal tender in Jamaica is the Jamaican dollar. If that remains true, how is it that some businesses are allowed to advertise goods and services while quoting prices and collecting payment in US dollars without any form of repercussion.
Over the weekend I was approached by a promotional sales representative offering package deals to one of our local attractions. Upon examining the document, I was surprised to see that all entry prices were quoted in US dollars.
I flatly refused the offer without hesitating to calculate the J$ equivalent as I felt insulted by the fact that this Jamaican attraction, having opened its doors to the public over 10 years ago, should now be quoting US$ prices to locals residents when all their operating expenses were in Jamaican dollars. This should not be allowed to happen at all.
I understand about the demand for the United States currency and the need to peg their operational cost to the US$ in order to counter inflation, but quoting entry ticket prices in US$ is downright disrespectful to all Jamaicans to say the least.
The tourism sector is the main culprit in this regard. The little they offer by way of employment and the use of some local produce is by no means a good trade-off compared to the billions of tax dollars that is pumped into the industry yearly by successive governments to promote the island as a tourist destination only to be scuffed at and treated like a bastard child when visiting some if these locations. All because we are not spending US$.
If the Jamaican currency is the only legal tender in Jamaica, why should these businesses be allowed to flaunt the law without consequences, while we prosecute others for far less offences. This kind of double standard by those elected to lead sets the stage for the kind of lawlessness that exist in our society today.
Personally, I have nothing against investors coming here to set up businesses. The question is, should they be allowed to quote prices in a currency other than that which is legal tender in the country?
Little by little we are being robbed of our identity.
Hotshots
myviews50@hotmail.com
These US$ price tags
-->