JAS president supports Safeguard Act
SENATOR Norman Grant, newly-elected president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), is batting for local farmers by supporting the passage of the Safeguards Act.
The Act, which provides for the imposition of interim measures in the form of tariffs and or quotas, is expected to assist Jamaican industries which are adversely affected by a surge in imports from developed countries.
The legislation would impose temporary restrictions to give local producers “breathing room”, where possible, in order to adjust to competition at home. It would also encourage structural adjustments by the domestic industry so that by the end of the period of adjustment, domestic producers would be able to compete both at home and on the world market.
“Madame President, I support this bill because of the importance of the agricultural sector to economic development, rural development and food security,” the JAS head told last week’s sitting of the Senate at Gordon House.
He added: “A sector which produces over $16 billion worth of goods, directly representing an eight per cent contribution to GDP and further contributing to the agri-processing sector which contributes over 30 per cent to GDP should not be under-estimated, nor should it be left without some level of protection which can be manifested in legislative and financial support.”
But opposition Senator, David Panton, noted that the Minister of Agriculture already had extensive powers under the existing anti-dumping legislation and that the proposed legislation also empowered the authority to allow protective action to be taken “even before the imported goods have been landed”.
He also critised aspects of the proposed legislation such as its “inability to address the build-up of inventory or intention to import”.
He also accused the drafters of admitting weaknesses into the framing sector, such as not defining a developed country. Panton cited the example of China, which he said was a major exporter yet could not be regarded as developed in terms of the criteria used by most international agencies. He also pointed to a lack of specificity in some of the other terms used in the bill.
However, the regulations were eventually approved by the Upper House.