Jackson wants law disqualifying racist foreign bidders from gov’t contracts

Senior opposition lawmaker Fitz Jackson says a future People’s National Party (PNP) administration will craft legislation to disqualify foreign bidders from government contracts who participate in racist practices.

In his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday, Jackson said if the PNP formed the next government it would promulgate provisions making it a requirement for foreign bidders to government contracts to declare whether they have participated in racist practices in any jurisdiction they have operated.

“The provisions will be as such that they indemnify the Government of Jamaica of any financial liabilities resulting from the termination of such contracts, along with all other necessary safeguards,” Jackson declared.

The St Catherine Southern MP referenced racist remarks made by an entrepreneur in the United Kingdom (UK) about a black UK member of parliament.

Frank Hester, head of the Phoenix Partnership, reportedly said during a 2019 company meeting that Diane Abbott, Britain’s longest-serving black legislator who is of Jamaican parentage, made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”.

Jackson noted that it has been confirmed that Hester’s company is doing business with the Jamaican Government.

“It is close to us because profits from Jamaican taxpayers here are nurturing such businesses to propagate their racism against our own people,” Jackson said.

The opposition lawmaker applauded the Ministry of Health & Wellness for condemning the reported racist and sexist remarks about Abbott by Hester. However, he argued that the ministry’s condemnation of Hester’s comments did not go far enough.

“To rely on the company to take ‘appropriate action’ against its beneficial owner goes nowhere,” he added.

Jackson observed that Jamaicans’ entry into the UK, the United States, and other countries are predicated on their non-support for terrorist organisations.

editorial@gleanerjm.com