Alien
03-16-08, - 04:18 PM
I start this week off with one of thee most ridiculous policy structures in the Bahamas today- the embargo against Haiti.
A report in the Nassau Guardian states that the Bahamas, has had an embargo on Haitian goods, for at least 30+ years.
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/bixex/305561767052443.php
The report also says that allot of Haitian goods, go to Florida first, to be shipped to the Bahamas at a higher cost- for a mangoe, it takes $1.00 to get to Florida and by the time it gets to the Bahamas, the price could be as high as $4.00. So, in essence, all what Florida businessmen are doing to us, Bahamians, is selling to us the same Haitian produce, many of us are xenophobic on, at a much higher price.
Dear God!
:realmad:
Now, to everyone's credit, doing business in Haiti can become problematic because they have had no true government, at least, a stable government since Papa-Doc. But, what does a stable government, have to do with international trade and commerce? Do you really THINK that every shop and corner store, closed down in Haiti everytime they had an uprising?
In any case, I think everyone knows that ships, whether carrying humans or goods, come in and out of the Bahamas. All illegal. So, trading with Haiti, and Haitians, whether we like it or not, is going on.
To top this all off, is that the US has been trading with Haiti, at least enough to get cheap agri-goods from Haiti. But, have been lax, and in fact, down right mean when it comes to development aid to Haiti- $500 million promised back in the 1990's and an end to the export embargo to Haiti back in the 1990's, all fell through because of one reason or the other.
To this day, FDI and development aid is STILL withheld from Haiti- even though operation HOPE has had "some success". But, on the other hand, Digicel has just built 20 new schools and, they have a small monopoly on telecoms in Haiti- after everyone realizes that they have had fair and democratic elections in 2000. So, when we see this, we have to ask, who exactly is operation HOPE, helping, truly? With the Bahamas paying $4.00 for a $1.00 mango- certainly not us.
My thing:
My thing is, development is key to keeping Haitians out of the Bahamas. If they have a chance to develop their own, and, receive aid from people on the outside, free and unfettered, they have a chance at ressucitating their own economy and stay away from the Bahamas.
Why are we, aiding and abetting in keeping Haiti dirt poor and keeping their business interests, from getting more bang for their buck? Why are we, even considering keeping a trade embargo on Haiti that has spanned for 30 odd years? Why are we, not realizing that keeping Haiti dirt poor, is part of the reason they leave for other destinations- like the afluent Bahamas? Why are we, shunning trade with Haiti (like the Chamber of Commerce wants and which I support- Ingraham and Symonette)? Why are we adding to the steepening of the illegality of the human trade, and, the drug trade from Haiti and not making an attempt to faccilitate true trade measures that make the transfer of goods and people, mutually beneficial and fosters stronger ties with Haitian and Bahamian regulators? Why are we making keeping illegal trade profitable, by keeping it neccesary for those people to survive?
Is there any other Caribbean country out there that has an embargo against Haiti?
:dgi:
Now, the embargo may not be Ingraham's or Symonette's fault. But, they can sure put an end to it. In fact, I think it would be wise to at least consider ending it. Especially since we already get Haitian goods, one way or the other to our shores- its best to faccilitate the trade, regulate it and assit in getting true controlled development aid into Haiti. Not everyone thinks it is a neccesary embargo on Haiti. In fact, the Florida shipping industry would LOVE to work with Haiti.
Like Cuba and the US....as with Haiti and the Bahamas...end the embargo!
:hammer:
To me, this embargo is one of the last remnants of the western hemisphere's racist past. Not with communism attached to it- but, with the proliferation of drugs and narcotics attached to it. Something they, US lobbyist, blame every country in Latin America for. They love Columbia, but, Columbia is the chief supplier of cocaine- always have and always will. But, they LOVE Uribe.
I support a move to end the Haitian embargo! Enough is enough!
My Sunday word,
Alien!
:)
A report in the Nassau Guardian states that the Bahamas, has had an embargo on Haitian goods, for at least 30+ years.
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/bixex/305561767052443.php
The report also says that allot of Haitian goods, go to Florida first, to be shipped to the Bahamas at a higher cost- for a mangoe, it takes $1.00 to get to Florida and by the time it gets to the Bahamas, the price could be as high as $4.00. So, in essence, all what Florida businessmen are doing to us, Bahamians, is selling to us the same Haitian produce, many of us are xenophobic on, at a much higher price.
Dear God!
:realmad:
Now, to everyone's credit, doing business in Haiti can become problematic because they have had no true government, at least, a stable government since Papa-Doc. But, what does a stable government, have to do with international trade and commerce? Do you really THINK that every shop and corner store, closed down in Haiti everytime they had an uprising?
In any case, I think everyone knows that ships, whether carrying humans or goods, come in and out of the Bahamas. All illegal. So, trading with Haiti, and Haitians, whether we like it or not, is going on.
To top this all off, is that the US has been trading with Haiti, at least enough to get cheap agri-goods from Haiti. But, have been lax, and in fact, down right mean when it comes to development aid to Haiti- $500 million promised back in the 1990's and an end to the export embargo to Haiti back in the 1990's, all fell through because of one reason or the other.
To this day, FDI and development aid is STILL withheld from Haiti- even though operation HOPE has had "some success". But, on the other hand, Digicel has just built 20 new schools and, they have a small monopoly on telecoms in Haiti- after everyone realizes that they have had fair and democratic elections in 2000. So, when we see this, we have to ask, who exactly is operation HOPE, helping, truly? With the Bahamas paying $4.00 for a $1.00 mango- certainly not us.
My thing:
My thing is, development is key to keeping Haitians out of the Bahamas. If they have a chance to develop their own, and, receive aid from people on the outside, free and unfettered, they have a chance at ressucitating their own economy and stay away from the Bahamas.
Why are we, aiding and abetting in keeping Haiti dirt poor and keeping their business interests, from getting more bang for their buck? Why are we, even considering keeping a trade embargo on Haiti that has spanned for 30 odd years? Why are we, not realizing that keeping Haiti dirt poor, is part of the reason they leave for other destinations- like the afluent Bahamas? Why are we, shunning trade with Haiti (like the Chamber of Commerce wants and which I support- Ingraham and Symonette)? Why are we adding to the steepening of the illegality of the human trade, and, the drug trade from Haiti and not making an attempt to faccilitate true trade measures that make the transfer of goods and people, mutually beneficial and fosters stronger ties with Haitian and Bahamian regulators? Why are we making keeping illegal trade profitable, by keeping it neccesary for those people to survive?
Is there any other Caribbean country out there that has an embargo against Haiti?
:dgi:
Now, the embargo may not be Ingraham's or Symonette's fault. But, they can sure put an end to it. In fact, I think it would be wise to at least consider ending it. Especially since we already get Haitian goods, one way or the other to our shores- its best to faccilitate the trade, regulate it and assit in getting true controlled development aid into Haiti. Not everyone thinks it is a neccesary embargo on Haiti. In fact, the Florida shipping industry would LOVE to work with Haiti.
Like Cuba and the US....as with Haiti and the Bahamas...end the embargo!
:hammer:
To me, this embargo is one of the last remnants of the western hemisphere's racist past. Not with communism attached to it- but, with the proliferation of drugs and narcotics attached to it. Something they, US lobbyist, blame every country in Latin America for. They love Columbia, but, Columbia is the chief supplier of cocaine- always have and always will. But, they LOVE Uribe.
I support a move to end the Haitian embargo! Enough is enough!
My Sunday word,
Alien!
:)