Craig Spence undaunted by red tape

Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

BRAES RIVER, St Elizabeth:

IT WAS a life of poverty that he led as a child, sometimes walking barefoot to school with his mother's handbag-cum-school bag. Craig Spence got the opportunity to migrate when he was in his late teens. In Florida, he got scholarships which led to certifications with honours and distinctions in graphic arts. He has held well-paying jobs, and has worked with Fortune 100 companies.

"My qualifications and my experience took me to levels where I know some people only dream of," Spence told Rural Xpress, in an article about his business ventures which appeared two weeks ago.

However, Spence was not smitten by the gloss of the American corporate world, and the whole notion of being a stranger among thousands of people, and love for his mother and country made him somewhat melancholy. He longed for the community spirit of his native Braes River, St Elizabeth, so he bought a one-way ticket, and came back with business ideas that could benefit his community and Jamaica as a whole.

Bureaucracy

He said things get a bit difficult at times because of bureaucratic red tape, especially for some people who came back to Jamaica to start a business, not only for personal gains, but for love of their country. The support is just not there. He said Government does not realise that by facilitating a business, there will be mushrooming effects, from business to families, to communities to nation.

"In doing business, one of the harsh realities I have learnt is even if something is good or great, or the opportunity is there, the decision makers sometimes are very challenging to get to, and they kind of leave things to people who are midfield - the gatekeepers; they don't want to open it, and they can't see further than their hands," he explained. The gatekeepers simply do not care, he said, because they are not benefiting.

He is also frustrated with Government's lip service about young people becoming entrepreneurs. "It's hogwash!" he said. "I know my personal experiences in importing goods to move Jamaica forward, I know my personal experience in importing donations, charity stuff. They do not make it easy and the costs are extremely difficult for you to do it and make any kind of difference."

One of the frustrating issues, Spence said, is the poor attitude of the elderly folk and the youth. The elderly people, he said, are set in their ways and are inflexible. This he said, was a point of discontent, and thus, he turned his focus to the youth. This, too, is a not going down well. Their attitude to work, he said, is very poor, and he has tried to hire many of them, but it has not worked out. He said he was quite shocked to see this attitude after being away for so long.

Spence described the nonchalance of the gatekeepers and the poor attitude of the people as a "distraction to progress", and, as such, sometimes he feels like returning to the States. Yet, he said, the future of Jamaica is the only thing keeping him here. Because of this distraction, he believes he is behind in terms of his timeframe, so he has now changed his approach in terms of getting his products to the market, so that the gatekeepers will have no choice than to open the gates. They cannot stop progress, he said, though they may try.

Spence is undaunted and said there will be progress in the face of no agreement. Thus, he is not looking for any agreement from anyone. If it comes, it would be nice, nonetheless. "No give up in our book!" he proudly declared.

rural@gleanerjm.com