MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Cabinet member Delroy Chuck has poured cold water on a suggestion by the Opposition to impose a tax on imported food, saying that protectionism has never been effective.

“Jamaica can produce everything for the cost of living to go down, and I say I don’t want to get into any political argument, but taxes on imported food won’t work. Protectionism has never worked,” Chuck said during a church service in Mandeville on Sunday.

“Farmers and producers in Jamaica have to learn to work not harder but smarter so that the prices can go down. Instead of farming large acres learn about hydroponics where produce can be cheaper and you can produce much more,” he added.

Opposition spokesman on agriculture Dr Dayton Campbell recently suggested to supporters at a People’s National Party (PNP) meeting in St Elizabeth that a future PNP Government would impose a tax on imported foods to generate funds to develop the agriculture sector.

However, sharp criticism of the comment resulted in Campbell doing an about-face and saying he was withdrawing what he said. Additionally, his party leader Mark Golding issued a statement saying that what Campbell spoke to was an innovative approach that would earmark existing taxes that are supposed to be collected on imported food items to create a fund focused on import substitution and export-led production of critical agricultural items.

On Sunday, Chuck said the focus of the country should be on getting young people to work in agriculture and other industries to increase productivity.

“So much more can be done in Jamaica if we can get our young men, instead of joining gangs, instead of being idle, if we can get them to get active and really assist even to rear some goats instead of stealing them… I know that if we really pull together the cost of living could be stabilised, but it means that our farmers, our producers, everyone will have to participate,” he said.

He encouraged employers to be mindful that minimum wage is not sufficient as a liveable wage and where possible they should pay their workers more.

“Employers, see what you can do for the employees nuh, because the employees at minimum wage have it hard, so to the extent that employers can improve the wages of employees by working with them, giving them better training, and improving productivity, those employees may well make your business better by providing better service,” he said.

He also encouraged employees to be more efficient and productive.