Senator Aubyn Hill - FILE PHOTO
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Minister of Industry, Commerce & Investment Aubyn Hill, speaking Monday on Beyond the Headlines
Minister of Industry, Commerce & Investment Aubyn Hill has defended the decision to authorise the importation of ice into Jamaica.
Jamaica's primary manufacturer of ice, Pure National Limited, suffered a major setback after a fire caused extensive damage to its plant a few months ago.
This caused the government to grant Pure National a permit for ice to be brought into the market to maintain supply over the next six months.
Senator Hill, speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines, said this measure was necessary to ensure an adequate supply of ice for the festive season.
In response to concerns about the cost of the imported ice to fill the gap, Senator Hill said "all kinds of market forces come into play when you have an emergency."
Elaborating, he said, the emergency which occurred in Jamaica, necessitating the bid to import meant that the overseas producer was now being asked to export a portion of its inventory which was, in all likelihood, never intended for the export market, "so price might go up."
Furthermore, he said, overseas producers of ice, realising that Jamaica now has a production shortfall, would see the opportunity to increase their price, in keeping with market forces.
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