Opposition calls for Government to fix port delays

Opposition Spokesperson on Industry, Investment and Global Logistics, Anthony Hylton, is calling for the Government to take action to fix the problems at the Port of Kingston, which have resulted in a growing backlog of goods ahead of the Christmas season.

Hylton points to reports of heightened surveillance and inspection of goods by the customs and border control agencies as one of the factors causing delays.

He argues that delays to the clearance of vital supplies and materials for producers and consumers during the peak Christmas season is increasing the risk of the economy slipping into a recession and prolonging the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The response of the Bank of Jamaica in increasing the policy rate multiple times has resulted in increased interest rates on credit to the productive sector, as well as households. Coupled with the rising costs of fuel and basic food items, the pressure on businesses and the most vulnerable has been mounting,” he states in a media release on Tuesday.

Hylton is calling on the Government to take the lead in urgently engaging all stakeholders in the port community in a discussion to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

“The micro and small enterprises, as well as the poor and the vulnerable classes, deserve a good Christmas season after the COVID-19 pandemic,” he adds.

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