The Editor, Sir:

As expected, the tourism sector, led by one of its prominent stakeholders, has presented the government with a wish list of concessions long before any accurate assessment of the impact of the global financial meltdown on the country has been undertaken. The tourism minister promised a response in seven days.

But this could hardly be the piecemeal approach to any national crisis, certainly the expected impact to every sector of the economy would have to be estimated and an economic relief plan devised based on the available resources of the government and the current financial heath of the sectors.

Declining business

What has become of all the profits of the good years, or are privileged sectors exempt from the consequences of lean years? Is the profit-and-loss statement replaced by a profit-and-profit one? Come on! So the hoteliers are expecting a 30 per cent decline in business, which forms the basis of their appeal.

But what will this decrease mean to the livelihood of their suppliers, especially the longsuffering farmers and the struggling craft traders? How will they survive in a scenario where disposable incomes should dramatically decline, or does anybody care?

Let us get serious in this country: Any government support should be conditional on every beneficiary coming clean with their audited financial statements. What does the country really earn from tourism? Continuing to report that we earn slightly more than tiny St Lucia is disgraceful.

Who is supposed to be doing the maths anyway? The data are readily available, so how come our annual reports are never challenged?

Problem with suppliers

While we are at it, I would like to call on the Fair Trading Commission to investigate the age-old problem suppliers to the tourism sector experience relative to the inordinate time it takes to secure payment for goods and services provided, when vacations, for the most part, are paid in advance. How dishonourable!

What is the position of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association on this matter? Is it a fact that more and more Jamaican companies are refusing to do business with the sector because they are not paid on a timely basis? What kind of business is this anyway?

The bottom line is that we are all facing this global crisis together. We will survive together or perish together, all aboard or all overboard: Nothing less will be tolerated!

I am, etc.,

ANTHONY FRECKLETON

tonyfreckleton@cwjamaica.com