Andrea Graham (left), president of the Small Businesses' Association, Beverly Lopez, president of the Jamaica Exporters' Association, and Clarence Clarke, Jamaica Manufacturers' Association president, make their way yesterday to a meeting between private sector leaders and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson at Jamaica House to discuss how to curb the current crime wave. BUSINESS LEADERS emerged from yesterday's meeting with Prime Minister P.J. Patterson tight-lipped about details of their talks on curbing crime.
They opted instead to await the unveiling of an anti-crime plan on Sunday before deciding on whether they should make further demands for the authorities to address the country's crime problem.
The leaders met at Jamaica House with the Prime Minister, K.D. Knight, his National Security Minister; Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Police Commissioner Francis Forbes and Major-General John Simmonds, Chief-of-Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, to discuss the crime wave which has been sweeping the island.
Mr. Patterson is scheduled to address the nation in a radio and television broadcast tomorrow night.
Peter Moses, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, told reporters after the meeting that there was frank discussion on both sides about the crime situation in the country and that the business leaders were now waiting to hear the major plans which the Prime Minister is scheduled to announce tomorrow.
"We will be listening carefully in greater detail and then we will look at it and then decide where we go from there in terms of our concerns for crime," Mr. Moses said.
While the business leaders declined to say much, one private sector boss told The Gleaner that the widespread extortion racket which is operating in sections of the Corporate Area and which was highlighted yesterday stimulated much discussion. Other issues which were raised included the availability of resources to the security forces to do their job in containing crime and the impact that crime and violence were having on the country's economic prospects.
Yesterday's meeting came in the wake of concerns which had been expressed by private sector leaders in recent weeks about the high crime rate which includes more than 600 murders since the start of the year. Also, there has been mounting public pressure for the Prime Minister to sack the National Security Minister and Police Commissioner.
However, last night the Office of the Prime Minister said "the private sector representatives have undertaken to support the Government in any new measure it proposed, in seeking to reverse the crime situation."
The OPM said there was agreement coming out of the meeting, that while the Government had the primary responsibility for security, it was necessary for the entire country to become involved in finding solutions.
Mr. Moses, however, would not be drawn on whether the private sector leaders still had confidence in Commissioner Forbes and Minister Knight.
"Let us first of all hear the plan, because a plan is only as good as the resources you put into it," he said.
