Dear Editor,
Jamaicans have a right to demand a full disclosure of the project appraisal outlining the cost and benefits of all major infrastructure projects. We will need a "Congressional styled" Budget Office to rate and evaluate Government's expenditure, programmes, and policy in order to better articulate subsequent social and economic impacts.
We have witnessed, over the last 10 years, huge investments in our road infrastructure and tourism; however, relative to the size of these investments the growth in GDP was, at best, marginal.
There is nothing wrong using Chinese capital and knowing how to develop our economy. The problem is not with the Chinese, it is the Government and its inability to negotiate with a highly educated development partner.
This relationship reminds me of the first encounter of native people with Europeans, where beads and other gifts were exchanged for land. The famous transaction was the sale of Manhattan island by Native Americans. The problem I am having with this relationship between the Chinese and the Government is that we do not know the cost/benefit of these transactions.
Government needs to be transparent about these exchanges and let Jamaican people know what the real exchanges are in present value to the Jamaican people.
Silbert Barrett
net_sbarrett@hotmail.com
Shows cost-benefit trade-off of Chinese deals
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Jamaicans have a right to demand a full disclosure of the project appraisal outlining the cost and benefits of all major infrastructure projects. We will need a "Congressional styled" Budget Office to rate and evaluate Government's expenditure, programmes, and policy in order to better articulate subsequent social and economic impacts.
We have witnessed, over the last 10 years, huge investments in our road infrastructure and tourism; however, relative to the size of these investments the growth in GDP was, at best, marginal.
There is nothing wrong using Chinese capital and knowing how to develop our economy. The problem is not with the Chinese, it is the Government and its inability to negotiate with a highly educated development partner.
This relationship reminds me of the first encounter of native people with Europeans, where beads and other gifts were exchanged for land. The famous transaction was the sale of Manhattan island by Native Americans. The problem I am having with this relationship between the Chinese and the Government is that we do not know the cost/benefit of these transactions.
Government needs to be transparent about these exchanges and let Jamaican people know what the real exchanges are in present value to the Jamaican people.
Silbert Barrett
net_sbarrett@hotmail.com
Shows cost-benefit trade-off of Chinese deals
-->