Andrea Downer, Gleaner Writer
INFORMATION MINISTER, Burchell Whiteman, has admitted that he made an error when he told journalists on Monday that the United States had upgraded Jamaica from a Tier-3 watchlist to a Tier-2 status in human trafficking.
The United States' annual Trafficking in Persons Report grades countries based on their efforts to combat the illegal practice of trafficking in humans.
Yesterday, Mr. Whiteman sought to set the record straight.
"The statement about the re-classification of Jamaica in Tier-2 on the issue of trafficking in persons was incorrect, I clearly was mistaken," he admitted.
Mr. Whiteman said a note with the misinformation had been sent from a Jamaican government office to Cabinet.
WORKING ON MEASURES
"The note had come from the government system, not the (US) State Department," he revealed. The Information Minister said the Jamaican Government is still working on the anti-human trafficking measures that the Government had promised the United States that it would address.
The U.S. Embassy had denied Mr. Whiteman's claim, on Tuesday, a day after the announcement was made public.
Yesterday Glenn Guimond, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy, told The Gleaner that the U.S. Department of State would not demote or promote any country until June this year, when its annual Trafficking in Persons Report is scheduled to be released.
