Business

Patrina Pink, Gleaner Intern

Gleaner Silver Pen awardee Christopher Pryce believes the island's problems can be mitigated if more Jamaicans simply pull their weight.

Pryce, who is vice-president - compliance and regulatory affairs for the Jamaican branch of an international corporate bank, accepted that the process would not be an easy one.

"A lot of people are not pulling their weight. They need to get up and do a good day's work," he said.

Pryce said he found it personally offensive when criminals rob working-class people.

"What does it say to others when you steal from them? It totally shatters their ideals. They ask themselves, why am I working? Why am I even bothering?" he remarked.

True patriot

Pryce, who lived in the United States for a number of years, said he returned to the island to make a meaningful contribution to the land of his birth.

He said his patriotism could not be subdued by the riches nor opportunities of a foreign land. Pryce was born in Kingston and grew up in Mandeville. He is a past student of Excelsior High School and West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University).

He has been a corporate and investment banker for more than 16 years.

Pryce's quiet nature cloaks an outspoken patriot. His letter to the editor copped the Silver Pen award for July. The award is handed out to the writer of the best letter of the day published each month.

Pryce's letter, titled 'We don't need any more laws', lamented the slow pace of the crime bills, as well as the need to implement the legislation currently on the books.

The bills were eventually passed.

He argued that the police force did not necessarily need a new range of bills to start fighting crime and there were a multiplicity of laws created to assist them.

patrina.pink@gleanerjm.com