THE EDITOR, Sir:THE RECENT debates about the Air Jamaica (Air J) debt and Air Jamaica's overall importance to the economy etc., makes me realise that the whole affair cannot be dealt with in a piecemeal way for much longer.
We, the long-suffering taxpayers would be led to believe that the majority of the loss is due to bad luck (e.g. category two rating by the United States and 9/11 terrorist attack) and overpaid pilots, but this is not true. Most of the losses are accrued due to bad management decisions which persist from pre-Butch Stewart days until now.
If the taxpayer has to continue financing AJ, we have to insist on strict adherence to knowledgeable expert advice.
Secondly, we have to demand that the cost-benefit tourism figures be closely examined to determine if the perceived additional tourism income is enough to offset these tremendous losses being accrued.
If this increased tourism earnings is such a significant factor in the equation, why is there no further investment in AJ by Mr. Stewart or any other major tourism interest?
Is it that it is only government that stands to benefit from a larger tourism pie?
The government needs to examine very carefully whether a $40 billion expenditure in education over 10 years would not have benefitted the country's economy more than this expenditure in Air J. or if a similar expenditure in the social infrastructure and national security would have set the environment for significantly curtailing the crime level and set the stage for massive foreign investment which would benefit the economy more, than this increase in tourism earnings.
I get a distinct feeling that Air J will never be a profitable entity, notwithstanding the talk from the management, and the losses will only get greater with the increased competition in the next few years.
Therefore, I implore the government to do some very serious analysis of alternate ways of spending taxpayers' money, which will benefit a wider cross-section of the people and have greater economic impact in the long run, before pouring any more money into this AJ abyss.
I am, etc.,
AINSWORTH DICK
Kingston 5
