NOTE-WORTHY: National Water Commission unfair

In the latest release by the National Water Commission (NWC), dated April 1, they set out water-rationing times for the Corporate Area. Customers served by the Constant Spring Treatment Plant are divided into two groups, one to get water five days each week, and the other two days per week.

This is clearly not fair, so I called the public relations department of the NWC and spoke to its head, Charles Buchanan, who attempted to give me an explanation which, frankly, did not hold water.

I am, therefore, appealing to Water Minister Dr Horace Chang to review this decision and correct this inequitable situation.

Water is life, so we must share what little we have fairly.

- John Edwards, jed@flowja.com, Kingston 8

Pursue trade advantages

I speak not as someone who is versed or experienced in production. My letter is a result of my own recognition of the current plight of our nation. Economics and trade theory will suggest that countries should pursue trade in their area of competitive advantage. Jamaica is taking the wrong direction in this production drive we are supposed to be taking.

We do not possess the technology to compete with the world in most areas, but agriculture should be included there. What we do have is a largely untapped food culture that is brimming with possibilities. Every day we hear talk of the need for innovation. We have failed to realise that we are appealing to the USA for the majority of our export earnings and that country is so obsessed with food they have a cable channel devoted to food and nothing else.

Am I to believe that if our comparative advantage was marketed in the right way it wouldn't be of benefit to our lagging economy? It is obvious to me that items like patties, for example, marketed and branded in the right way would be a craze in foreign countries, not only the US.

Jamaicans make the best patties and jerk chicken in the world. American chefs try to recreate jerk chicken and it comes up woefully lacking. Therein lies a potential niche in either packaging these items or opening chains elsewhere. If Burger King, KFC and Domino's can proliferate our streets, I see no reason our establishments cannot do the same.

- Llemar Nicholson, llemux@yahoo.com, Spanish Town, St Catherine