It is now official, after some five years and quite a few courtroom dramas, Caricel will be forced to cease all operations in Jamaica. Justice and surely proof that our laws and governance structure, though flawed, does indeed work as on the face of it by denying Caricel one has shown that the nation refuses to do deals with individuals who are shady and have convictions. But does the system work? Has Caricel been unfairly treated? If so, why have they been unfairly treated? And more importantly, was the decision to effectively kill them taken from a stance of national interest or were we cudgelled into it?
From my vantage point, it does look like Caricel has indeed got hold of the wrong end of the stick and pissed somebody off. What other reason can be given for the hasty and sustained pressure from both parties to rescind and question the licence (which they both signed off on)? No explanation other than pressure seems plausible as no new, concrete or credible information has been brought to light. We hear many allegations, many rumours and see outside pressure from the US -and lack of charges shows the information quite possibly came from illegal wiretaps- relating to the board member in the crosshairs. It looks like Caricel is simply a small ant which wandered into a zone where elephants fight, and it is paying the ultimate price.
If we are honest, this is Caricel being shafted, because which major industrial company has not committed some major crime? Which major industrialist can stand and honestly say ‘I have never committed a crime’? it is laughable on the face of it! Example, which construction company is not in bed with gangs to ensure that operations are not hindered? How many Ex/Im companies routinely and blatantly flout the laws? The argument that the government has acted in order to safeguard the people or stop criminal elements dies an early death when placed against what happens every day such as the police used car scandal, so why the unfair treatment?
The reasons for the unfair treatment are many and range from wishing to maintain a local status quo to a grand geopolitical chess game which we find ourselves in (both willingly and unwillingly).
The local status quo is obvious, none of the major companies wants another Claro situation where they find themselves undercut (price wise) and none of the companies can hope to offer the line of products and services which a fully operational Caricel could offer. Local industrialist’s in a captured market working to ensure that they alone remain unchallenged, that is not far fetched (as anyone with a memory going back to pre ’99 will recall such a scenario) and it should be lost on nobody that the main companies openly lobbying to kill the Caricel deal have the most to lose if it goes through.
In terms of geopolitics playing out locally, look no further than who was to provide Caricel with their network and technology, none other than the most recent US bugaboo Huawei. Huawei, which was supposed to provide routers, towers and fibre-optic cables, it was to be the backbone of the Caricel project and possibly (definitely, if you really think about it) act as the beachhead for Huawei as it aims to cement its status in the region as a mobile/internet powerhouse. It should also be no surprise that the US as it aims to maintain its hegemonic status in technology and its accoutrements (such as cyber espionage) has been putting pressure on both allies and trade partners to cease all trade with Huawei (something they have thus far failed to do as the prices and level of technology offered can’t be beaten at the moment).
We see the geopolitical game playing out here in other more open and visible fields such as investment (loans, grants, FDI etc..) and everyday infrastructure (such as roads, bridges etc…). These are being done by the Chinese state and the Americans, in a bid to stave off encroachment in their original economic sphere of influence, have been openly warning us that to continue along this line would mean less trade with them (our biggest trade partners) and could even mean making ourselves less secure (open to the debt trap and espionage).
Now, I am not here to advocate for criminals to be given special grants, I don’t think any sane and rational person would want a criminal to have access to such material as electronics and telephonic data etc, no one wants that. What people do want is equality or common sense to prevail and what has taken place looks rather unequal and lacking in all common sense. Unless that is, this is the new precedent and standard we will be aiming for, we (the government and private sector) will be hounding out all companies and ventures headed by shady people, funded by shady criminals or those even loosely associated with the like.
Will the construction company which pays off the gangs to ensure the project gets completed to schedule be terminated? Will the importer who then siphons off and sells (such as sugar, flour, rice, and even oil) be held up? Will the financial company which turns a blind eye to illicit funds going through their doors be closed down? Will the hotels which have been paying off alleged rape victims be moved on? I doubt it, I think most Jamaicans doubt it, and that in and of itself is a travesty.
The biggest travesty, however, is something which you both parties already know, no one else is there to fill the void, there is no American or European company to come in and do what Huawei and Caricel were going to do. We the people are left shafted, short-changed and possibly 5-10 years behind everyone (as opposed to the current 5-10 years ahead in relation to internet speed and access), and for what? Not for any higher purpose or the need for justice and security, we have been shafted in order to protect a few local companies bottom lines as well as to appease the US which has openly said it does not want allies (or anyone for that matter) to use Chinese technology even though American technology is more expensive and nowhere near as good.
This cant be allowed to pass by with no outcry or proper questioning. Are we independent, can we chart our own foreign policy and can our local business persons start operations with infrastructure from anywhere (so long as it is allowed under Jamaican law)? If we are, then this is a dangerous and reckless precedent. What will happen to the roads and other infrastructure being constructed now as a joint China-Jamaica (subcontracts) project (again which contractor isn’t just a bit shady)? If it is morals, then apply this new found moral fibre equally or keep it in check until you can. If it is succumbing to the heavy pressures of corporate and state entities then know that you have set us firmly back in the camp of the colonised, those who ask before they do and are signing a deal ensuring our future impoverishment. Businesses are always threatened, hegemons always see upstarts, they will be back with more demands and this is ensuring that they will be met as they will have a touchstone to look to and will know that we respond to even the slightest bit of pressure.
jamaicachange 