Dear Editor,

On October 7 I received an e-mail invitation from the Consulate General of Jamaica in New York to attend Jamaica Day happening on October 15. This was an event promoted as an opportunity to connect directly with key government agencies such as the National Identification & Registration Authority (NIRA), the Accountant General’s Department (AGD), the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), and various financial institutions.

The timing of this invitation was ideal. I had pressing questions to which I had been unable to get clear answers regarding:

1) relocating to Jamaica

2) an NIS matter

3) taxation

I promptly registered for the event and chose the earliest available time slot, 9:00-9:15 am, so I could attend before heading to work. I rearranged my schedule accordingly, including rescheduling meetings and adjusting my work hours.

On the morning of the event I arrived at the building housing the consulate at 8:55 am and proceeded upstairs. To my dismay nothing appeared prepared. No booths were fully set up aside from that of Victoria Mutual. There was no Blue Mountain coffee or Jamaican snacks as advertised, and, more importantly, no representatives from the government agencies I had come to see.

I was asked the reason for my visit and explained that I was there for Jamaica Day and had specific questions for JCA, NIS, and TAJ. I was told to “please have a seat”, with no estimate of wait time given, no acknowledgement of the delay, and no communication on next steps. I sat patiently, observing the disorganisation and inefficiencies.

At 9:15 am, the end of my scheduled slot, I decided to leave. I left frustrated and without having spoken to a single representative. The event, by then, had not meaningfully started.

This experience was not only disappointing, it was insulting. It wasted my time and undermined my trust.

As a proud member of the Jamaican Diaspora I believe in investing in Jamaica. I have personally done so in multiple ways and want to continue. But how can one feel confident making meaningful investments in a country when even a basic, pre-scheduled event at its consulate cannot be executed on time?

There’s a saying: How you do anything is how you do everything. If the consulate cannot honour a simple schedule for an event it organised, is it any surprise that key infrastructure projects in Jamaica face persistent delays? The Negril roundabout, housing developments, and the Granville Police Station — the pattern is hard to ignore.

Jamaica cannot afford to continue undervaluing people’s time or mismanaging expectations. If you want the Diaspora to invest in the country, the country must first invest in being reliable.

To the Jamaican Consulate in New York: You must do better. We expect better. And Jamaica deserves better.

Jamie Pearson

jtpearso@gmail.com