Patty row fanned by emotion, misinformation

Saturday, November 21, 2009 6:11 AM

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Friday, July 03, 2009

The recent impasse surrounding a shipment of patties from Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago was "a most unfortunate situation, where highly emotive declarations, unsupported by data or factual evidence, have been consistently repeated by media", according to Senator Mariano Browne, Trinidad's minister of trade & industry and minister in the ministry of finance.

Noting that issues which caused the delay in clearance of a shipment of patties from Jamaica to Trinidad had been resolved and the product delivered to suppliers once they passed well-established Caricom sanitary requirements, Minister Browne said, "we have had no problem with the wide range of Jamaican products entering our markets over the years and view this as a one-off issue and do not forsee any further difficulties."

Myrtle Dwyer (left), director of marketing at Half Moon, Montego Bay and Marcia Erskine, Kingston-based Public Relations Consultant, in conversation in the Half Moon/Jamaica Pegasus booth with Trinidad's Minister of Trade & Industry, Senator the Hon Mariano Browne, at the Trade & Investment Conference.

In an address at the opening ceremony of the 10th annual Trade & Investment Convention in Macoya, Trinidad on June 24, 2009, Minister Browne said that "Trinidad & Tobago, as a responsible member of the World Trade Organization and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), has no intention of erecting non-tariff barriers".

Minister Browne said that "it would make absolutely no sense for Trinidad & Tobago to adopt reactionary policies that would undermine the purchasing power of a major partner."

Trinidad & Tobago he said, "have been strong supporters of regional trade in many tangible ways, most notably through the Caricom Trade Sector Support Programme (CTSP), which provides funding for capacity building, structural readjustment and technical upgrade for Caribbean firms now located in Trinidad & Tobago."

Noting that the CTSP was "envisaged as a mechanism for regional firms to enhance their ability to compete both regionally and in the global marketplace", Minister Browne said that the recent incident with Jamaica has made his government "even more sensitive to the warnings of experts in the global trading environment".

His ministry he said, "wishes to add its own voice to the growing call to remain committed to open markets and to resist the temptation to slide towards protectionism which could only be to the detriment of the entire region and world trade which has been the bedrock of our recent prosperity."

Instead, he said, "we must continue to be more outward looking, transparent and willing to engage with global partners. The MIT is a co-sponsor with First Citrus Bank of Trinidad & Tobago and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago of the Trade & Investment Conference, coordinated by the Trinidad & Tobago Manufacturers Association.

The show annually attracts exhibitors from within and outside the Caribbean and this year included large delegations from India, China, Brazil, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Jamaican exhibitors included the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston and Half Moon Resort, Montego Bay.

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