NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Rules put in place to keep Jamaica off watch lists compiled by international financial institutions may be making it harder to do business here, says minister of efficiency, innovation and digital transformation in the Office of the Prime Minister Audrey Marks, who has taken on the challenge of finding the sweet spot that sees Jamaicans following the rules without getting bogged down in red tape.

“The other day, the World Bank visited Jamaica and because we had been on the grey list for a while, in order to get back certain certifications as a country, we went really hard…We overcompensated in the amount of requirements. We have to take a back-look at that and see to make sure that we don’t stifle ease of doing business in order to get into that compliance. We have to find the balance, and I see that as my job,” said the minister, who assured that she will be working on addressing the issue.

Marks was speaking during the All-Island Chambers of Commerce (AICC) quarterly luncheon held at Skylark Negril Beach Resort last Saturday. Hosted by the Negril Chamber of Commerce, it was the first AICC quarterly meeting and luncheon to be held since last October’s passage of Hurricane Melissa. Participants used the opportunity to point Marks in the direction of their pain points. They have suggested a new system of late fees for unpaid traffic tickers, more electronic payment options for government services, streamlining of hotel industry certifications and a simplification of the land subdivision process as issues she needs to tackle in her role as red tape slayer.

During the meeting, one member highlighted the limitations faced by business owners because many government agencies accept only credit cards, rather than debit cards, for large businesses transactions. Marks noted that steps have already been taken to address this via the GovPay portal, but said further upgrades will be made.

“We will start working on making sure other forms of payment will be accepted,” the minister assured.

In response to Negril businessman Cliff Reynolds’ complaint about a two-year wait for a simple subdivision of land – which in his view should be a 24-hour decision if all the infrastructure is already in place – Marks also promised a quick fix.

“I hear you and I will ensure that we include the first step of the subdivision in the development process,” stated the minister in response.

For hotelier Sophia Grizzle-Roumel, her biggest concern was the operational burden of obtaining more than 15 different annual certificates for small hotels; a number that could climb to up to 120 for larger properties.

“We have small hotels who are not able to get their licence because it’s so difficult to get the fire brigade licence at the same time as a health licence, at the same time as the water sports licence. It’s a problem that the industry has been facing for many, many years. Some hotels just never have all the certifications at the same time and it’s a real big problem,” explained Grizzle-Roumel.

Marks was familiar with the issue.

“I am aware of that one. And what I’ve noticed, especially for the small hotels, is that sometimes by the time you finish getting one, the others expire. And it is definitely on the priority list,” she stated.

Turning to his pet peeve, businesman Andrew Hancel, suggested that instead of going to court for an unpaid traffic ticket, a fixed late fee should be applied. He said such a move would increase productivity by cutting down court appearances.

“Sometimes we forget to pay our ticket, but rather than forcing the person to come to court, I think we should move in the direction whereby you pay a fixed late fee. That will be more efficient for us,” he argued.

Marks was fully on board.

“That’s a great suggestion and I’m writing it down. When I started to look at the motor vehicle ticketing system, I realised we had thousands — I think it was around 400,000 tickets — just out there,” she stated.

“What we have done, now that we have the electronic signature system, we are allowing judges to sign electronic warrants so that we are moving through the process very quickly…We now have an app where you can actually go to look up tickets so persons can see what their status is,” added Marks.

As the meeting progressed, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce member Larry Watson suggested raising the $1-million cash payment limit for legitimate goods within the distributive trade. He proposed a system similar to the “green line” customs clearance for containers.

“If a business is green in their GCT (General Consumption Tax) and all their payments, they should be able to get a certification that allows them to pay their distributor more than $1 million in cash. Because $1 million in cash was like from 10 years ago, so it’s worthless [today],” Watson argued.

Marks, who founded Paymaster, Jamaica’s first “one-stop shop” multi-payment agency, could relate.

“I am very into expanding payment options, and it is the only way that we are going to have a better economy also, with more financial options and better financial inclusion,” argued the minister.

Minister of Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation in the Office of the Prime Minister Audrey Marks making a point to South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce member, Andrew Hancel during the All-Island Chambers of Commerce quarterly luncheon held at Skylark Negril Beach Resort, last Saturday. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)