THE Sex Workers Association (SWA) on Thursday welcomed a proposal to decriminalise and tax commercial sex work.

"The truth of it is that the members of the association are outside the formal working environment in Jamaica and have felt the brunt of not being able to access social services like protection from the police, health care and housing benefits," Marsha Grant, president of the association, told the Observer. "We are looking at the upside of that where the association members are saying 'if I pay my taxes and you can say to me I will get these benefits I will pay my money'."

On Wednesday, Dr Kevin Harvey, senior medical officer in the Ministry of Health with responsibility for the National HIV/STI programme, said the government could earn up to $3 billion a year if it taxed prostitution. This money, he suggested, could be used to fund the National HIV/STI programme and strengthen intervention programmes for the sex workers - one of the groups most at risk of contracting HIV and AIDS.

While there is no available data on the number of sex workers in Jamaica, the Ministry of Health says there is now nine per cent more workers in the industry than in previous years.

On Thursday Grant said most sex workers had no intention of staying in the profession forever and would like to have some stability once they retire.

"Having some financial records would help them with institutions to get loans to start other businesses," she said. "For a lot of them, this is just a means to an end for now."

Formed in 2007, Grant said the SWA more than 100 members. And she expects more workers to join the association soon.

"It has been growing. More persons have been finding out about us and they actually like the work that we are doing," Grant said, adding that the sex workers have recently begun organising the industry so that it can be safe and legitimate.

"What we do is provide support for each other, we also have practical services like skills training, literacy programmes, we are able to fund support and we also have interventions that go into clubs and disseminate condoms and talk to the ladies," she added.

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