From left Pauline Campbell, manager of the contraband enforcement team, Dr. Webster Edwards, Chaplain Ports Security Corps (PSC), Major Vincent Anderson, PSC Chairman and Director Karl James in discussion before the awards luncheon to honour 74 PSC workers at the Alhambra Inn yesterday. JAMAICA IS still far from winning the fight against contraband smugglers, according to Karl James, former president of the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) and a director of the Port Security Corps (PSC).
Speaking at an awards function for 74 PSC employees at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston yesterday, Mr. James said that in 1989, when the PSC was founded, income from non-traditional exports such as agricultural fresh produce and garments amounted to US$252.6 million. By 1995, it had increased to US$477.8 million but for 1999 had been reduced to US$333.9 million down from US$400.6 million in 1998.
He said that although the recent drought had affected the availability of fresh produce and the garment sector had "its own unique problems", these were not the chief reasons for the decline in non-traditional exports.
Contraband exporters
"There is one thing that has adversely affected all sectors of non-traditional exports," he said, "it is infiltration by contraband exporters. It is well known that several overseas buyers do not want to buy from Jamaica because of the possibility of drugs being found in the exports. Several who once exported have given up the activity because of being wrongly accused of exporting contraband in their legitimate cargo," he said.
According to Mr. James, there was the additional scenario of companies supplying the overseas market with products made overseas but still bearing Jamaican names.
"Export has become a dangerous business for the honest exporter. The yam shipments are tampered with, the pumpkin shipments are tampered with, the garment shipments are tampered with, we are considered in the same class as Colombia, where the corruption of the society by drugs is concerned," said Mr. James. He noted that Jamaicans travelling overseas were more likely to be body searched at foreign ports on suspicion of trafficking illegal drugs.
Turning to the awardees, he urged them to be strong in character, to be committed to the security of the ports and the security of the country.
"You cannot allow yourself to be bought by some sweet talking, no-good rascal. External vigilance is the price of freedom."
He cited cases where security personnel were bought not to see while illegal cargo was placed in legitimate export containers, and encouraged the awardees to "keep a watchful eye". He said that though the country needs to protect exports, it also has the challenge of illegal imports.
"There is a constant cry that the marketplace is littered with illicit goods that seek to compete with locally produced goods which have to pay GCT and other legitimate expenses. If we cannot contain the illegal imports through our ports and elsewhere, we could say farewell to local production. This applies to both manufactured foods and fresh agricultural products, we are watching with deep concern the yearly decrease in the production of almost every item. Any country where exports decrease and imports continue to increase is in deep trouble."
He touched on illegal gun import, cocaine, corruption and praedial larceny as other major concerns. "The ability of adequate foreign exchange is dependent on one's ability to export goods and services to earn the foreign exchange, all these are things that depend on the effective work of the whole PSC. Everyday there is a drug find at one of the two airports. Export has become a dangerous business. Do the best you can, because it seems like the only thing that we are overproducing right now is babies."
The PSC is 11 years old, the awards function honours workers islandwide who have done 10 years service.
