American Chamber of Commerce

Remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, January 18, 2006

“Talk of the Town”, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for asking me here today.  As a businessperson I understand the importance of the American Chamber of Commerce and the work you do. I particularly congratulate you on this, your 20th anniversary. 

I also want I want to congratulate your out-going President, Anthony Jenkinson on a most successful three years, and for being at the helm during a very exciting time in AMCHAM’s history.As this event is the official “Passing of the Torch” of your association’s presidency I wish to warmly welcome your new President, Audrey Marks.  Audrey, I understand you are the first female president in the history of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica. I congratulate you on this accomplishment and have great hopes for your tenure.

Since 1986, the American Chamber of Commerce has served as a forum to exchange information, a lobby for both governments and institutions, and networking institution.  

I anticipate working with AMCHAM to promote good will and strengthen both U. S. and Jamaican business opportunities.

Before coming to Jamaica I heard about the building of the community policing development at Grants Penn.  I look forward to participating in the Grand Opening of the AMCHAM/USAID/PERF community policing development in Grants Pen next week.

I am honored and privileged to serve the United States of America, its people and its President as the U.S. ambassador to Jamaica.  As the ambassador my responsibility is to protect the values and interests of my country.  

We seek a world of freedom, liberty, and equality of opportunity.  We are working toward a democratic and market-oriented world, a world that prospers through laws, civic responsibility and justice. Our goal is a world free from crime, drugs, and terrorism.  

800,000 of my countrymen travel here each year.  That equals 70 percent of tourist visits.  Americans are clearly a mainstay of the Jamaican tourism industry, the second largest source of foreign exchange.  As you can imagine, ensuring the welfare and safety of these visiting Americans and the 10 to 12 thousand U.S. citizens who live here is my highest priority.

The Bush Administration considers trade with the Western Hemisphere a priority.  We are committed to removing market distortions, fostering free trade and creating economic growth.  Our President has made clear that the United States will pursue bilateral, regional, and global trade agreements while maintaining focus on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) as our priority in the Western Hemisphere.   

U.S. trade with the Americas has propelled growth for the last decade.  The United States imported 12.1 billion US $ in goods from the Caribbean.  The revenues from these imports are many times larger than development assistance flows, and, more importantly, they create jobs and support families in the region. Obviously, the U.S. provides a large and reliable market for the Caribbean.  The open and expanded trade of the FTAA will lead to better jobs, bigger paychecks, greater variety of goods and lower prices for the hard-working families of all of the Americas.  

Some are concerned about the FTAA.  For smaller economies like Jamaica, the U.S. is open to discussing extended schedules, special carve outs, trade capacity building efforts, and technical assistance.  Jamaica exports 500 million US $ annually to the United States, its number one export partner.  As Jamaica's productivity increases and trade barriers fall, these numbers will grow.  We look forward to working with you on these issues. 

As Jamaica's most important trading partner, the United States has undeniable interest in its welfare.  President Bush has said: “A world where some live in comfort and plenty, while half the human race lives on less than $2.00 a day, is neither just nor stable.”  Our goal is that every country has a growing and stable economy where the benefits of development are widely shared.  Successful development balances economic growth with social growth and environmental stewardship, and it requires the involvement of everyone – particularly the private sector. The public private partnership showcased by the AmCham in seeing the Grant’s Pen project to fruition is a perfect example of what the private or non-governmental sector can contribute to a country’s development.  Whether organizations are business or socially oriented, faith-based or secular, they all have something to give. 

The United States sees development taking place when four major factors are unlocked: trade, domestic capital, foreign investment, and remittances. 

Jamaica’s largest earner of foreign exchange is remittances.  For the first nine months of 2005 remittances equaled nearly 1 and a half billion U.S. dollars. 60 percent of remittances to Jamaica come from the U.S. That being said, in the long run trade will be the most important element in Jamaica’s development. 

Prosperity is linked to democracy.  Development happens when people are free to exercise their political liberties and when economic opportunities are available to them.  Corruption and poor governance impede those liberties and opportunities. Development must be sustainable.  To achieve it calls for reducing poverty, increasing primary education, assuring access to clean water, reducing hunger and infectious diseases, and conserving the environment.  Each of these is the focus of U.S. assistance programs.  Overseas development assistance alone cannot achieve sustainable growth, yet it remains an important element of development policy.  The U.S. is the world’s largest donor of development assistance and doubled it from 10 B in 2000 to 19 B US $ in 2005.  We also introduced the Millennium Challenge Account, an innovative development program providing significant foreign assistance to countries that undertake structural reforms to facilitate sustainable development.  Jamaica’s economic development and economic stability is important to us.  The United States continues to provide Jamaica millions of U.S. dollars in development assistance every year. Our programs support broad-based economic growth and education. They target youth at risk, inner city communities and environmental matters.  The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, at US$15 B the largest health initiative in history, has also benefited Jamaica.   

The American Chamber of Commerce in Jamaica has identified the single largest impediment to development and economic growth in Jamaica.  It is neither high interest rates nor low productivity.  It is crime.   

Crime is an international problem.  We are up against an enemy without conscience.  Multilateral security cooperation is the only solution to this global threat.  We must work together to ensure that criminals, terrorists, and narco-traffickers can find no shelter, and no safe haven.  The U.S. Government shares Jamaica’s commitment to fight against these soulless interests.  We will do all we can to help.  The United States Embassy in Kingston has assisted Jamaican security forces with additional resources and worked with the JDF Coast Guard to interdict go-fast boats and small aircraft bringing cocaine into Jamaica.  We have assisted customs, the port authority and the private sector in tightening port security.    

Guns and drugs are the two biggest problems for law enforcement.  The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms will continue to work with the JCF and the JDF to trace illicit arms captured in Jamaica.  As we pinpoint the sources, we can stem the flow.  We have provided Ionscan machines to Jamaica to be deployed at Jamaica's airports to detect both illicit narcotics and arms and ammunition being smuggled into or out of the country.  Our combined efforts will in time keep massive amounts of drugs and guns from crossing Jamaica's borders.  I spoke earlier about education’s importance to a nation’s social and trade development.  I understand this in a very personal way, having been a teacher myself.  Having taught in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY, I know that it is not just some vague theory that education allows children to overcome difficult beginnings, it is a fact.  

I have been a teacher.  I am a businessperson, and I am a strong supporter of the arts.  I know how important exchange between countries is to the development of education, business and culture.  That is why I am happy to say that only yesterday Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff spoke about improving Business and Temporary Worker Visa Processing.  

Since 9/11, one of our great challenges has been maintaining the right balance between stronger security and facilitating travel.  To help achieve that balance we are studying the best use of new technologies and the most efficient processes.  The Department has begun enrolling companies for expedited visa processing and offering the ability to complete applications and make appointments on- line.  We seek feed-back from businesses and intend to adopt pertinent best practices. We believe education is important.  Student visas will be encouraged. Visas will be issued 120 days ahead of school, instead of 90 days.  Entrance will be allowed 45 days before classes, not 30.  

These changes and more are underway.  The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are diligently looking for ways to expedite the visa process for bona fide business and educational travelers.  

Again, I appreciate the offer to be here today.  I will do my best to represent the spirit and values of the United Sates, to take care of U.S. citizens and U.S. interests and to work closely with our Jamaican colleagues to improve the world we share.