PSOJ praises gov't and police for reduction in major crimes

By Kimone Witter 

 

President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Metry Seaga, is heaping praises on the Government and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for the 18 per cent decline in murders this year when compared with the corresponding period last year.

 

Outlining the achievement last week, Police Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake also signalled the Police High Command's intention to ramp up operations for 2025.

 

Mr. Seaga believes the strategic approach of the government and the JCF to tackling the issue is working. 

 

"I think that we have made a major dent in crime and that's really good news. I think that the government has been, I don't want to say absolved, but what they have done has worked, and has worked well. I think the help of CMOC (Crime Monitoring & Oversight Committee) that the PSOJ has been a big part [and] has really helped to get major crimes under control."

 

He said the reduction in major crimes has brought relief to many families.

 

I don't think we understand how many families have been spared the horrible effects of what 18% reduction in [murders] has brought to us. So for that I am very happy, grateful and continue to work hard to help the government, and any government that's in power, to get this monster under control. And I think we're almost there," he touted. 

 

The PSOJ president said the focus of the country for the new year should be growth in the economy that is critical and key to its development.

 

Mr. Seaga said boosting exports is one of the areas requiring urgent attention. 

 

"We need more money in circulation, we need a bigger economy. The pie is simply too small and the way for us to get that is to grow the size of our

economy through exports. We need major companies to come into Jamaica, into the special economic zones, start to manufacture higher ends, higher value added and export those products so that our economy can expand outside of Jamaica. I think once we do that we're going to see a different Jamaica," he reasoned.   

 

Mr. Seaga said a stronger economy will translate to more capital available to the government to allocate for critical services. 

 

"The problem that we have is that our economy is too small, so our budget is too small. We don't have enough money to allocate to education and to police and to hospitals and to, and to, and to. So everybody has a very important need and yes, we need more hospitals, yes we need more police, yes we need more nurses, we need more teachers, we need more doctors and we need to pay them better, but we can't do that with the size of the economy," he maintained. 

 

In November, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness announced that the government plans to transition the country towards robust economic growth.