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When we think of foreign relations, we must consider two types
of relationships:
•
Relationships with other nations, overseas and regional
and international organizations
•
Relationships with the Jamaican Diaspora
Our foreign policy, international public relations efforts, and the way
we staff and support our outward-facing corps of representatives
must be in line with our objectives for these relationships.
Finding a Better Balance in CARICOM
Jamaica needs to begin a process of clinically re-examining its role
within CARICOM. Nothing short of a comprehensive assessment
of our CARICOM membership is required at this time.
The cries of our manufacturers and other business interests are
deafening. Structural imbalances within CARICOM are palpable.
Concerns regarding Rules of Origin and the Common External
Tariff have gone unaddressed for far too long.
Northern Caribbean Economic Convergence:
New Developments & Opportunities
A momentous development is taking place before our eyes: the
opening up of Cuba via normalized relations with the United
States. The result we must anticipate is a complete reconfiguration
of the north-western Caribbean as a geo-political and economic
space.
Another factor that will play in the transformation of trade, is the
ongoingexpansionof thePanamaCanal.Thenewcanal, scheduled
for completion in 2017, will accommodate unprecedented volumes
of even larger cargo vessels.
The time is ripe to pursue efforts at getting Jamaica in a position
to benefit at as an international logistics centre.
Services: The New Export Growth Pole
Much will revolve around the services side of the equation.
Opportunities within the services sector are tremendous and these
opportunities are at our finger tips. We should not undervalue
certain advantages which in fact have high business value to the
American market.
•
Our population are native English speakers;
•
Our location is in relatively close proximity to the largest
economy in the world
FOREIGN POLICY
•
We have to date only scratched the surface of the
enormous opportunities which exist in relation to:
•
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector—much
more than call centres!
•
Establishing Jamaica as an International Financial
Centre (IFC)
•
The provision of logistics-related services
•
Positioning Jamaica as an aviation hub to handle a
growing share of the nearly 10 million passengers already
passing through the northern Caribbean (Dominican
Republic and Cuba)
Better Energy Agreements
The matter of energy cannot be left out of the equation.While talks
have occurred with the United States, we need to convert talk into
action.Wemust secure outcomes following those discussions and
ensure that LNG from the United States is leveraged to form part
of our energy mix here in Jamaica.
The suggestion that Jamaica could be the hub for the distribution
of LNG to other countries in the region is worthy of active
consideration.
Diaspora Relations—A Missed Opportunity
Concerns have been raised over the years by persons in the
Diaspora, mainly in the United States, Canada, and United
Kingdom, about the lack of information about opportunities
available to them.
In addition to the familial ties that bind us ever, the World Bank
estimates that the Jamaican Diaspora has some US$5.4 Billion
in savings. The US$800 million which we acquired recently on the
international bond market is less that 20 percent of those savings.
There is every indication that the Diaspora stands ready to invest
in their country, once they can be satisfied that the environment
is conducive to such investments. A Jamaica Labour Party
government will make the environment ready for investment.
On the matter of engaging the Diaspora in our parliamentary
process, as part of our proposed independent members of the
Senate, we will propose that the Governor-General select a
representative of the views of the Diaspora.
Foreign Policy Must Drive our Economic Policy