Ohene Blake | Cauterising the adverse economic impacts of Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa has devastated the western third or more of Jamaica. This is the prime real sector for economic growth. It is the centre of agricultural food production for the entire Jamaican and export markets. It is the main mining area. And it is the heart of the tourism sector.

What happened in the west will not stay in the west. It will shortly manifest in food shortages and increased food prices, especially in urban areas like Kingston, increased inflation (remember July, August, and September of 2024), decreased exports and foreign exchange earnings, and increased demand for imports, putting pressure on the Jamaican dollar, adding further to the overall inflation rate. The Bank of Jamaica will be challenged to maintain its inflation target and the Jamaican dollar rate.

There is another related economic and social issue, namely unemployment. Businesses and employment in the West have been wiped out. Businesses and jobs, especially in agro-processing, commerce, and transportation, in other parts of the Island will soon experience the negative effects as well.

Hungry, unemployed, and frustrated young men and women unable to provide food, water, shelter, or entertainment for children marooned in makeshift arrangements is a powder keg. And that among people with limited reasoning capacity, and prone to violence, will soon ignite. Ignition will burn many innocent persons, including volunteers distributing the very commodities the communities need. That will generate a vicious cycle of non-provision, accusations, and continued deprivation.

MOVE PROACTIVELY

Three weeks after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) must move proactively to cauterise the situation and head off the worse of these possible developments. We offer four suggestions.

First, the GOJ must reach out to the United States (US), a major trading partner, which enjoys a healthy and growing trade surplus. That surplus will increase exponentially with the disproportionate share of imports from the US for basic needs and reconstruction. The GOJ must urge the Government of the US to:

(1) Increase its generous financial package and include money that can be used to provide temporary employment for persons previously employed in the tourism, health, and education sectors.

(2) Suspend the 10 per cent duty on exports from Jamaica for one year.

(3) Suspend or waive any government-based charges on remittances to Jamaica for one year.

(4) Provide temporary (6 months) visa access for professionals like teachers and nurses identified by the GOJ whose places of employment are unlikely to be operational in that period. Waive the fees normally associated with such visas.

Second, the GOJ must reach out to the Government of the United Kingdom, as the earliest and best-known beneficiary of the Industrial Revolution and of the exploitation of the natural and human resources of its former colony, Jamaica, to:

(a) Make a substantial down payment on the widely agreed reparation debt to Jamaica.

(b) Write off, or grant a moratorium on any official debt repayment or interest.

(c) Grant temporary (6 months) visa access for professionals like teachers and nurses.

Third, apply the well-established principle in business management, namely, place responsibility at the lowest feasible level. Jamaica is conveniently divided into parishes, constituencies, and divisions. There are:

- Members of parliament (MPs) and several Councillors often representing different political parties.

- Leaders of police areas and stations.

- Leaders of hospitals, clinics, infirmaries, and shelters.

- School principals (active and retired), and Guidance Counsellors.

- Church Leaders.

Together, those persons constitute a reservoir of information on the communities and individuals by name, location, and even postal address. Going forward, those persons should be the foundation of disaster risk management preparation and execution. The division should be the basic unit. Each division should have two designated persons with publicly provided communication systems that are independent of the electricity system. Their primary responsibility after any significant event is to gather and provide information on their division. A secure information system in the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) should receive and maintain such information year-round. In the present situation, the Government should establish ad hoc groups of such persons and delegate the responsibility for the identification of community needs, including damaged infrastructure, and the management of the distribution of assistance. These persons know the community, and community members tend to know and trust them. Further, most of them will be around after the relief and reconstruction stages to experience the consequences.

Fourth, as the process approaches the cleaning up, rehabilitation, and reconstruction stages, the GOJ should establish criteria that favour businesses and persons in or close to the most affected areas. Engagement and earnings will not only generate income, but even more important, hope. Hope will keep communities together and encourage them to protect community assets.

COMMUNITY LEADERS

Community leaders, with responsibility comes the need for accountability. Every dollar, every item received represents sacrifice by a person who did not have to make it. People give out of a desire to make a positive difference in the life or lives of some affected person(s). Their stewardship, reports, will either encourage or discourage further effort. Even with little internal connectivity, the international media is here. Unfortunately, they come with experiences, or more accurately, perceptions, expecting mismanagement by the Government and local people. Sensational stories sell.

So, when given the opportunity to serve, you carry responsibility for your community and country. In this situation, the responsibility might be in terms of the assistance in response to Hurricane Melissa, but the people’s impact will affect responses to future disastrous events. The frequency of these extreme events is increasing.

Ohene Blake is a former deputy CEO of Trade Board Limited. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com