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Businesses succeed - Govt. has nothing to do with that!
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Business-friendly environment
published: Wednesday | May 2, 2007
Delroy Chuck
Some weeks ago, one of Jamaica's leading and most successful entrepreneurs, Butch Stewart, spoke of the need for a business-friendly environment. His eminently sound views received little support and, certainly, have not inspired the deserved attention, discussion and enthusiasm. The small-minded have even challenged Butch's opinions and wondered if Jamaica did not have business-friendly policies, how come he succeeded.
In truth, Butch and many others succeeded in spite of government's policies and the society's hostility to successful entrepreneurs. Across Jamaica, people view big and successful entrepreneurs with cynicism, envy and unspeakable labels. When businessmen succeed at their craft and amass millions and billions, the jealous and incompetent quietly speak of them as drug barons, tax dodgers or exploiters. Yet, if Jamaica is to succeed, businesses must succeed.
Challenge to find jobs
Nowadays, Jamaica's greatest challenge is to provide jobs for its people, especially its young people. Yes, there are many who feel that we must solve the crime problem before jobs are created. I do not agree. Crime will always be with us. High criminal activity is the surest symptom of a society in trouble and tearing itself apart. If we get the economy right, crime will automatically decline but the reverse is not true, a crime-free environment rarely attracts businesses. For example, Port Royal and many communities in Jamaica, including Grants Pen, are relatively crime-free but, in the present environment, are actually sinking in poverty. The country needs businesses to create jobs, opportunities and easily accessibl to consume, boost and convert the energy, creativity and restlessness of our young people from criminal wanderings to nation building adventures.
The countries of the world that have done well did so through business expansion and development. They did not wait for their people to be educated or for crime to disappear. They attracted and promoted investments and production. Little Cayman Islands, formerly dependents of Jamaica, concentrated on off shore banking and now enjoy First World standards, with over 600 banks and nearly a trillion dollars in assets.
China, once hostile to businessmen, reversed its policies and promoted the capitalist views of President Deng Xiao 'to be rich is glorious'. Chile and Costa Rica in Latin America, Ireland and Switzerland in Europe, Botswana and Mozambique in Africa, Barbados and Antigua in the Caribbean, and countries that want to move forward provide attractive and friendly environments for businesses to thrive and make profits.
Somehow, we need to get it into ourheads that the primary purpose of business is to make profits. Without profits, legitimate businesses cannot survive. Businessmen do not go into business to help a community or develop a country. But, when businesses succeed, jobs are created, more taxes are paid, communities come alive and a country develops. Thus, when government policies are hostile to business, it is not the businesses that suffer, it is the workers who lose their jobs, the government that collects less taxes, and the country's economy that stagnates, which is the story of Jamaica for the past decade and more.
Be corrupt to succeed
When a leading businessman can declare that, in Jamaica, to succeed in business one has to be corrupt, something has gone awfully wrong and we are on the wrong path. He knows that to get through customs, to overcome the bureaucracy and to pay the high tariffs charged on some goods, businessmen have to bribe all and sundry simply to get things done. In such an environment, it is the tax collector and the country that ultimately suffer.
When people ask therefore where the JLP will get the resources for free education, free health care and to fix our roads, et cetera, the answer is very simple. A JLP government will provide a business-friendly environment for businesses to do well, which means more jobs will be created and more profits made, from which more taxes will be collected.
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Delroy Chuck is an attorney-at-law and Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by email at delchuck@hotmail.com.
----------------
Business-friendly environment
published: Wednesday | May 2, 2007
Delroy Chuck
Some weeks ago, one of Jamaica's leading and most successful entrepreneurs, Butch Stewart, spoke of the need for a business-friendly environment. His eminently sound views received little support and, certainly, have not inspired the deserved attention, discussion and enthusiasm. The small-minded have even challenged Butch's opinions and wondered if Jamaica did not have business-friendly policies, how come he succeeded.
In truth, Butch and many others succeeded in spite of government's policies and the society's hostility to successful entrepreneurs. Across Jamaica, people view big and successful entrepreneurs with cynicism, envy and unspeakable labels. When businessmen succeed at their craft and amass millions and billions, the jealous and incompetent quietly speak of them as drug barons, tax dodgers or exploiters. Yet, if Jamaica is to succeed, businesses must succeed.
Challenge to find jobs
Nowadays, Jamaica's greatest challenge is to provide jobs for its people, especially its young people. Yes, there are many who feel that we must solve the crime problem before jobs are created. I do not agree. Crime will always be with us. High criminal activity is the surest symptom of a society in trouble and tearing itself apart. If we get the economy right, crime will automatically decline but the reverse is not true, a crime-free environment rarely attracts businesses. For example, Port Royal and many communities in Jamaica, including Grants Pen, are relatively crime-free but, in the present environment, are actually sinking in poverty. The country needs businesses to create jobs, opportunities and easily accessibl to consume, boost and convert the energy, creativity and restlessness of our young people from criminal wanderings to nation building adventures.
The countries of the world that have done well did so through business expansion and development. They did not wait for their people to be educated or for crime to disappear. They attracted and promoted investments and production. Little Cayman Islands, formerly dependents of Jamaica, concentrated on off shore banking and now enjoy First World standards, with over 600 banks and nearly a trillion dollars in assets.
China, once hostile to businessmen, reversed its policies and promoted the capitalist views of President Deng Xiao 'to be rich is glorious'. Chile and Costa Rica in Latin America, Ireland and Switzerland in Europe, Botswana and Mozambique in Africa, Barbados and Antigua in the Caribbean, and countries that want to move forward provide attractive and friendly environments for businesses to thrive and make profits.
Somehow, we need to get it into ourheads that the primary purpose of business is to make profits. Without profits, legitimate businesses cannot survive. Businessmen do not go into business to help a community or develop a country. But, when businesses succeed, jobs are created, more taxes are paid, communities come alive and a country develops. Thus, when government policies are hostile to business, it is not the businesses that suffer, it is the workers who lose their jobs, the government that collects less taxes, and the country's economy that stagnates, which is the story of Jamaica for the past decade and more.
Be corrupt to succeed
When a leading businessman can declare that, in Jamaica, to succeed in business one has to be corrupt, something has gone awfully wrong and we are on the wrong path. He knows that to get through customs, to overcome the bureaucracy and to pay the high tariffs charged on some goods, businessmen have to bribe all and sundry simply to get things done. In such an environment, it is the tax collector and the country that ultimately suffer.
When people ask therefore where the JLP will get the resources for free education, free health care and to fix our roads, et cetera, the answer is very simple. A JLP government will provide a business-friendly environment for businesses to do well, which means more jobs will be created and more profits made, from which more taxes will be collected.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delroy Chuck is an attorney-at-law and Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by email at delchuck@hotmail.com.
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