US visa of some local private sector players revoked

 

United States Ambassador to Jamaica Donald Tapia on Friday revealed that persons in the local private sector had their US visa revoked in recent times.

 

He made the disclosure while speaking on Radio Jamaica's Hotline programme.

 

Mr. Tapia said the US has been targeting persons, including members of the private sector, who are involved in corruption. 

 

"Many times, I notice that the papers and the media zero in on government. But you must keep in mind that there is corruption within the private sector at the highest levels and they are dealing in illicit goods and we will be looking at them and targeting them also," he declared, noting that the Jamaican government has been "very, very cooperative in working with us and us working with them." 

 

Mr. Tapia declined to provide details when asked about the recent visa revocations, but told Hotline host Emily Shields that "there's some people that better be more capable of getting a visa going to China than it would be to come to the United States." 

 

He also declined to comment on how many people have been affected by the recent visa revocations. But probed further by Mrs Shields, the ambassador admitted: "I don't know... I do know of some, but I do not know of the total." 

 

MOU    

 

In the meantime, Ambassador Tapia said progress is being made to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU with the Holness led administration to stamp out corruption at the island's ports. 

 

The MOU will allow American intelligence and customs authorities to partner with local law enforcement to build cases against persons involved in the shipment of illegal items into the island.

 

Mr. Tapia said the agreement should be finalised soon.

 

"The Government of Jamaica is working very hard - the Attorney General, the other agencies.... Keep in mind that it's not just one agency that it affects, it affects two or three, so each one of them must review it, make sure that their attorneys are OK with it and I believe that we will have that MOU that I spoke of in the very near future," he revealed.  

 

Mr. Tapia said the agreement should be beneficial to both countries, and not just for the US. 

 

"As long as it works for Jamaica and it works for the US, it's a good MOU. When it's a one-way street, when it only works for the US, it's a bad MOU for Jamaica," the US Ambassador insisted.