EDITORIAL - Empathy with Mr Nicholson

A.J. Nicholson might have engaged his mouth rather too loosely on this occasion. We, however, have some appreciation of, and sympathy with, his exasperation with some business and political leaders over their approach to alleged abuse of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) trade regime by some of our regional partners.

Or, as Mr Nicholson put it in the Senate last week, their "belly-aching" over their claimed misbehaviour by Trinidad and Tobago to give it a near US$1-billion trade surplus with Jamaica.

Added Mr Nicholson: "Stop quarrelling with Trinidad. Port-of-Spain is about their business. We are supposed to be about our business."

The foreign minister has properly retreated from his uncharacteristic inelegance and has made a point that this newspaper has long championed: the need for Jamaica to use the dispute-settlement mechanisms afforded by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Of these, there are several, from administrative action by the CARICOM secretary general to hearings before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), operating in its original jurisdiction as interpreter of the treaty establishing the Community. Indeed, the trade and commerce minister disclosed that he has caused importers to pay interim duties on lubricants imported from Trinidad and Tobago after Port-of-Spain's failure to certify their CARICOM origin.

While this case is in need of additional particulars, Mr Hylton's action underlines what is possible. But making, and sustaining, substantive claims of cheating by Trinidad and Tobago demands more than making the accusations.

It insists upon hard research and analysis and the documentary evidence to prove unfair subsidies to manufacturers, including whether how Port-of-Spain allocates its energy resources is in keeping with either the law and/or spirit of the CARICOM treaty. We must prove, rather than merely claim, that our products are subject to non-tariff barriers.

Dispute mechanisms

If these are true, Jamaica can invoke the dispute mechanisms and, in some instances, apply, as Mr Hylton has done, interim remedies.

It may be, too, that Jamaica believes it to be in its interest, because of its balance of payments problems, to activate CARICOM's timeout, exempting us from the Community's reciprocal free trade mechanism. If that is the case, the argument should be coherently made.

Perhaps it is that Jamaicans believe that we should find our way without CARICOM. In that event, have a serious debate, not a whinge.

But whatever our conclusion, Mr Nicholson, fundamentally, is right.

First, Jamaica has to fix its domestic economy if it is to be competitive with its regional and global partners. That starts with reducing our debt, which, at 150 per cent of GDP, is unsustainable.

Jamaica must also move quickly to resolve its energy issue by agreeing on cheaper fuels than expensive oil to fire its power plants. We have talked about this for too long.

And as Mr Nicholson indicated, while CARICOM may be the inner portion of the system, it should be seen only as one part of concentric circles of trade and economic opportunities. Lamenting CARICOM's unfairness doesn't absolve Jamaica of fixing its problems and taking hold of the others.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.