JMA Online News

CRIPPLED BY ballooning energy costs and fed up with 'talk shops' that are seemingly bereft of gainful solutions, local manufacturers are calling for immediate action from the Government and the sole light and power company in Jamaica to cut the high electricity charges stifling the sector.

Brian Pengelley, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), is contending that manufacturers are reeling from the effects of skyrocketing energy costs and need short-term solutions.

"In Jamaica, we love to talk. The time to talk has long passed. This is a critical issue to the industry, this is a critical issue to the consumer, this is a big issue and the time for talking has passed.

"What are the actions that are going to move this thing forward or else in six months, we'll still be talking about it," argued Pengelley at a Gleaner Editors' forum at North Street in Kingston last Thursday.

The manufacturers complained that the rising energy costs, if not addressed speedily, were threatening to bring the manufacturing sector to its knees.

"From the JMA and manufacturers, we are fairly simple business people and if we have an issue that's a critical issue, we don't talk and talk and talk. We get around the table and go for solutions and find solutions," the JMA head stressed.

Phillip Paulwell, former energy minister who attended the forum, suggested that there were measures that could be introduced now that could save the country $15 billion in energy costs. "Why are those things not being done, I believe if the competition spirit was there many of those things that need to be done would be done and it's not conceptual."

He did not provide details about the measures that could be implemented at this time, but invited his counterpart, Energy Minister Clive Mullings, to "share with him (solutions) and see if he would take it forward".