Corporate executives say crucial reforms are needed to discontinue the crime crisis that has plagued Jamaica for many years.

President of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and owner of SMS Communications Stephen Spence said change is needed from business persons and the government in eliminating the support of criminality.

“We should be willing ourselves, that we implement new business processes, things that are ethical in how we do business and who we do business with,” Spence said. “A lot depends on certain policies that are put in place to help us not entertain certain business practices.”

He said that business operators have been made culpable in activities that undermine ethics and governance when the things that make business easy to conduct has to be done through “someone you know” somewhere.

“I am totally against that practice,” he said. “Whether you have a business that makes $10 million or $1 million, the same rules should apply,” Spence said.

He also noted that Government now has the ability to implement social activities to involve and engage persons in depressed communities so that they can become more self sufficient and independent of dons, adding that investment in education should be made a priority.

“We should never cut back on education. That is one of the things we should spend a lot of time and money on,” he said, noting that schools in inner-city communities should be brought to the same level as schools in the uptown areas so that the quality of education, the amenities, and programmes are the same.

“For the adults, we need to teach persons how to create their own jobs and stop thinking that the Government will be able to provide everything they need,” Spence added.

With the link being made with political parties and dons through the financing of elections, one of the strongest and most consistent call for campaign financing disclosure has been the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), through its president, Joseph Matalon. “Both political parties should commit, at the very least, to annually turning over their list of contributors to the Political Ombudsman to show that they are not receiving contributions from known or reputed criminals and are therefore not beholden to these characters,” Matalon said.

Spence said that he also supports the call for accountability from the political directorate.

“I am totally in agreement with that. I also believe that the government should separate themselves… have some morals,” Spence said. “They should teach people why they should vote, not because I am giving you a sheet of zinc but based on the policies that are put forward,” he opined.

Matalon added that the government must also “quickly enact the crime bills for which the PSOJ has advocated for over two years and which have been languishing in the Parliament while our murder rates soar.” He said the PSOJ had asked for, among other things, the strengthening of wiretapping legislation, amending the Bail Act to broaden considerations for denial of bail, passing omnibus post arrest processing legislation to permit fingerprinting and photographing of persons, and implementing tougher anti-gang legislation.

“The PSOJ believes that only the toughest measures will suffice,” Matalon said.

Thalia Lyn, CEO of the Island Grill chain of restaurants and board member of many organisations in Jamaica said the key to turning the situation around is unity and a firm stance on the part of the private sector.

“The first thing that we have to do is unify and speak as one voice,” she said.

“The biggest commitment we have to make is dismantling the garrisons, we have to keep that as the number one objective,” she said. “If we all don’t insist that as tough as it is going to be to get the government to dismantle the garrisons and flush out the criminals. People like us have to help to dismantle it,” Lyn said.

“We can’t say that nobody is listening to us. We all have to stay committed and hold government and opposition accountable. That is the only way it is going to work,” she added.

Lyn argued that no more should dons and gunmen hold the entire country to ransom, almost topple a government and continue to cause mayhem. She said many business persons, like herself, were “emotional” about the occurrences over the past week, both for the loss of lives and the way things have gone for the country.

“We are all emotional about the way things have happened because we are not going anywhere,” Lyn said. “Everything I have is invested in this country. I am not about to let thugs take it over.”

In addition to supporting the call for full disclosure, Lyn said that there is another body that should help in the cause.

“The media should emphasise the positive voices, not the negative ones. Let us take the positive message and spread it around because without that we are not getting anywhere,” she said.