BUSINESSMAN John Mahfood says that unless the long-standing problems with crime are addressed then there can be no hope for the growth in tourism sector, which he said is the sector that will best drive the country’s economic success.

Mahfood, CEO of Jamaica Teas Limited, was addressing the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Kingston at the club’s secretariat on the grounds of the National Chest Hospital in Liguanea, Tuesday evening on the topic, “The Ugly Truth about Crime in Jamaica’.

“We are too small a manufacturing base for the manufacturing sector to drive the economy, and our agriculture sector is way too small, we are coming out of banana, sugar is struggling and what are we left with? at our business we are trying to get products like ginger, and Jamaica don’t produce ginger again,” Mahfood told the meeting.

He added that the country was once known for having the best ginger in the world, with a substantial export base, but that has since ceased. Mahfood said that part of the reason the manufacturing sector will not add significantly to the country’s growth is that no one is going to come in from abroad and invest in manufacturing in Jamaica, because “we don’t have the population base to support it and the fear of violence and crime”.

He said the logical thing, therefore, would be looking at how to increase the number of visitors to the island as there is room for growth to allow this.

But Mahfood stressed that this cannot happen unless the crime situation is properly resolved, pointing to the recent murder of an American woman in the island which has been linked to lottery scamming.

He added that if just a few more similar incidents of this nature are to occur, then this would put the sector in a very fragile situation.

According to Mahfood, the lack of accountability relating to crime by both political parties over the years leaves a lot to be desired, and that as a nation the people have become numb to crime.

“We have not forced our political parties to perform, and we ourselves have lost confidence in our ability to do anything. After I wrote an article about the crime situation I started talking to people in the tourist industry, businessmen in Montego Bay and [other parts of] Jamaica, and most of them were resigned to the level of crime that exists,” the Jamaica Teas CEO stated.

He said that in order for the rate showing 45 murders per 100,000 people to decrease, targeted and measurable plans need to be put in place by the Government, with help from the Opposition, as well as social partnerships to address key reforms needed in areas such as the justice system and provisions for police personnel.

These measures, he said, will cost the country and so the Government could look at suitable measures such as increasing income tax for a specific period such as five years for companies like his, but there are also other places they can turn if they have a comprehensive plan.

More fortunate Jamaicans, said Mahfood, should not just sit by and watch as poor Jamaicans continue to be victims of the crime and violence as if it continues unchecked it will affect other areas.

“We need to start to think about how we are going to influence our politicians and not just say we continue and hope that the next commissioner of police or the next minister of justice is going to have the solutions, because so far the rotations of commissioners and ministers have not worked, and it is not going to work, and this is what I’m trying to understand, how we put an end to the talk and move to action,” Mahfood said.

He added: “We want to find groups like yours (Kiwanis) who will require entities such as the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and politicians to do more; we are prepared, I am prepared to play my part by paying extra taxes and other things that will help to generate funds if they (Government) can produce a viable plan that we can believe in and we can assess their success, just like they have done with the economic reform programme”.