Contributed
Ocho Rios craft vendors and their colleagues from other markets across the island gathered at a press conference in the resort town on Wednesday to voice their concerns over the state of the craft industry.Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
TOURISM INTERESTS and other business leaders in Ocho Rios have been in discussions with craft traders over several days this week as they attempt to defuse growing discontent over what the traders call the Government's several broken promises.
The business interests are particularly fearful that any protests might have a damaging impact on the fragile tourism sector.
Over the past four years the nearly 1,000 craft vendors in Ocho Rios have mounted several demonstrations which have resulted in extensive loss of revenue for businesses in the town.
"It is not our aim to cause any problems," said Michael Sterling, an executive member of the Dunn's River Craft Market Association. "What we are tired of are the constant broken promises and we are now demanding accountability."
Asked to spell out what the craft traders are asking for Mr. Sterling said, "We want for all the promises that have been made to put in writing and signed so we can hold individuals accountable. We are encouraged by what Joey Issa and other business leaders have put on the table for politicians to sign off on promises made on the political platform."
In what has become known as the "Issa initiative", a proposal by SuperClubs executive vice-president Joe Issa, the island's business leaders have secured a commitment from the main political parties to have candidates agreeing to a covenant with their constituents. This agreement would call for pivotal issues in their constituencies to be dealt with shortly after being elected. Having gotten wind of the news that Minister of Tourism Portia Simpson Miller was scheduled to visit the resort town on Thursday, the craft traders hastily called a press conference on Wednesday. And in what one craft vendor described as "a show of strength and solidarity", they were able to mobilise over a hundred of their counterparts from across the island for the meeting.
They expressed their grouses, noting that the time for empty promises was over and that unless their concerns were addressed they would have no other recourse but to take to the streets. They also spoke about being shut out of the lucrative tourism market, charging that other competing interests have monopolised all the business at their expense. Mrs. Simpson Miller, The Gleaner was told, had to cancel her Ocho Rios appearance because of a prior engagement. Repeated efforts to reach her were unsuccessful.
The craft traders, however, said it was critical for the tourism minister to meet with them. "She is the only person in government who might be able to understand our concerns," one of the vendors said.
"In all fairness to Mrs. Simpson Miller, she inherited a lot of these problems," said Michelle Graham, craft trader. "We however want an assurance from her that things such as the building of a centralised craft market in Ocho Rios will at long last be addressed. And we want this in writing."
St. Ann Chamber president Andrew Grant said that while he understood the plight of the craft traders, he would not support threats of a street protest.
"Dialogue has to be the way forward," he said. "The tourism industry is what is at stake here and we have to do everything to ensure we do not jeopardise what is clearly the main income earner in this country."
Faith Thomas, general manager of the St. Ann Development Company (SADCo), a subsidiary of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), said many of the craft traders also contributed to their own plight by their refusal to pay rent.
"A lot of the work we could be doing for them is being stymied by our inability to collect rent from some of the markets," explained Ms. Thomas.
"The Pineapple Craft Market is $2.5 million in arrears and to think that the minimum cost for rental in that market is $345. This is an untenable situation. Craft traders are also unwilling to pay their water bill. I am not saying they don't have the right to call their press conferences whenever they feel like but they must admit that they do very little to help their cause."
Ms. Thomas said the UDC doesn't make promises that it cannot keep. "When the day of deliverance comes we don't want to be found wanting," she said.
