Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Johnson, has encouraged investments in Jamaica, but the bureaucracies, taxes, paper work and protection money involved, why bother?

The hoops and red tape one has to go through to get a business up and running is Herculean to say the least. First, if your are putting up a structure, you have to get permits from every government agency on earth and after the laborious task is accomplished, you have to hope all these different agencies communicate with each other and no one is left slighted.

When you are ready to put up your building you're told you have to get another round of local permits before the first dirt is dug on the site. Day one of the project and you get a note telling you your weekly payroll needs three or four phantom workers who the area leader wants payment for. So then you have to hire armed guards to protect you from the local thugs.

Termination notices

Finally, the building is ready to be opened for business, and you get a visit from the unions dictating the salary, severance pay, leave, termination notices and working conditions for your workers.

You now decide to visit the local commercial bank to open a business account and, oh my God! The letters, recommendations, notarised documents, references, TRN, NIS, NHT, certificates, ID and an armoured car to transport your money safely to the bank.

Now after every litre of blood has been drained from your now exhausted body, you finally can operate your business ... but wait, the protection 'Don' has to be paid to keep you operating safely.

I am, etc.,

Stewart Young

stewartyoung11@hotmail.com

Florida, USA