Relocate Up Park Camp? For what gain?

Wilberne Persaud, Financial Gleaner Columnist

Today, I planned to write on the issue of growth in the Jamaican economy. My thoughts actually moved to Eric Williams, who, during his time at the Anglo-American Caribbean commission, suffered some experiences that even for that time were alarming but very useful and instructive for us today.

He was concerned about the potential for growth in the West Indian territories. Contrarily, the Anglo-American Caribbean commission, controlled as it was by Americans, British, French, and Dutch, was, in his view, not pursuing the true interests of the West Indian people.

Here is what he says in his speech: "My relations with the Caribbean commission 1943 to 1955." This, more or less, was his preliminary manifesto prior to launching into Trinidad and Tobago politics.

Having discussed a regional survey of transportation facilities to be made by a highly paid Dutch expert ignorant of the area, which cost US$20,000 at the time, and indicating that the West Indian conference in Guadeloupe in 1948 rejected the report - actually recommending against its publication - he went on to discuss: "Another survey, this time of industrial development in the area, ... made by a panel of experts, one appointed by each of the four governments, the four reports being collated by a fifth expert. One member of the panel was British, another Dutch, while the coordinator was French; they brought to bear on the question the traditional metropolitan hostility to colonial industrialisation. The report took years to complete. Before it was finished, I succeeded in getting Arthur Lewis, the distinguished West Indian economist, appointed as a consultant to the secretariat to study industrial development in Puerto Rico and make recommendations for the British West Indies. Dr Lewis took three months, over the study, which cost little more than a single month's salary for the French coordinator, while other aspects of industrial development were later studied thoroughly by the West Indian economist on my research staff as a matter of routine."

Lewis' work found its way into the public domain as "The Industriali-sation of the British West Indies". Later, it was pejoratively dubbed "Industrialisation by Invitation".

In it he argued for a change in emphasis of economic endeavour towards industrial production - industrial production meant specifically for export. Such production facilities would be generated by creating lucrative incentives for foreign investors to locate in the West Indies, produce at optimal efficiency levels for the export market, and later on, Lewis argued, and I use his very words, local entrepreneurs would "learn the tricks of the trade".

We all know this did not occur. Lewis' prescriptions were implemented in their breach - as if the architects' plans and engineering drawings were abandoned precisely as the builders feverishly created structures on a foundation of shifting sand. There was also corruption in the way in which these growth and development-oriented initiatives were undertaken.

The government and Planning Institute of Jamaica are embarked on a growth identification process. Lewis studied 1940s industrial development in Puerto Rico.

He also infused this work with the in-depth study he made of capitalist development, industrial organisation, issues of colonial trade and underdevelopment. The current initiative proposes to study Brazil's jump from underdeveloped raw material-exporting periphery to new, rapidly emerging nodal point of growth.

Number-crunching operation

We shall learn little if we approach this task as a number-crunching operation, looking for unavoidable and stable ratios, treating the whole process as an exercise in applied mathematics.

But stop, I must. I began by telling you what I planned to but thought better of discussing, yet apparently I'm doing exactly as planned! So yes, stop! Stop!

Let's run the algorithm, do the three step process that's indicated:

Go to: Up Park Camp

Make: the crucial points that appear to be lurking somewhere in the shade, on the dark side

Follow: the money.

Yes, the move was a request from the Jamaica Defence Force top brass itself.

I wish we could simply believe our prime minister, but the Jamaican populace, following on 'Dudus', is now incredulous.

Now, which elements of the Jamaica private sector will underwrite this huge expense? And for what gain? Surely, they'll not be thinking philanthropy, particularly after the hit from JDX! Or is there a specific group that avoided the JDX haircut and bush-bath based on some kind of inside knowledge?

Who is going to own these prime spaces and take the butter ackee from big contracts? Will there be any space left for that good ole 'General of all Contracts'? In Watergate, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were directed to follow the money. Perhaps we should do so with diligence.

During Eric Williams' time at the Caribbean Commission, the folks acting against the best interests of the West Indian people were foreigners - colonialists.

Governors bowled, batted and took slip catches for sugar and sugar interests; whose interests are politicians securing in our dispensa-tion of indepen-dence? Indeed Justice Patrick Robinson in arguing for embrace of the Caribbean Court of Justice and abandonment of appeals to the United Kingdom Privy Council, is so correct in connecting occurrences that at first glance appear entirely unconnected.

Marcus Garvey preferred to govern himself badly than to be governed by another, Bob Marley warns against mental slavery; Usain Bolt stays at home coached by Jamaicans, T.P. Lecky creates Jamaica Hope, at home!

Where is the hope? When shall we truly take up the mantle of our West Indian founding fathers, those whose motivations were a struggle for freedom, respect, dignity and equity as opposed to corrupt personal gain and the pitfalls into which that primitive motivation eventually dumps us?

wilbe65@yahoo.com