Dear Editor,

We have had yet another delay in the signing of the documents to enable Jamaica to secure a loan from the IMF to begin the long process of repairing an economy in tatters. One cannot help but ask the obvious question: what is really holding up the agreement?

(1) Is it because Jamaica has not and apparently has no intention of honouring a treaty signed between both governments to extradite people whom the United States deem a threat to the stability of their country?

(2) When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Jamaica earlier this month, I remember clearly that as she was about to enter a room to hold a private meeting with the prime minister she said to him within earshot of the TV cameras, “By the way, Mr Prime Minister, how are your negotiations with the IMF coming along?” Mr Golding, who was obviously surprised by Mrs Clinton’s question, replied quietly, “Everything is going fine.”

(3) If certain conditions are required to complete the application to the Fund, for instance, the sale of Air Jamaica, which has been continuously bandied about and has not yet been completed, how can the government expect to have an agreement?

(4) The United States is the most powerful country on earth and its people are fully aware of that fact, so does our government really believe that they can hijack an agreement with the IMF without complying with every condition?

(5) Just recently US marshals came to Jamaica to carry out an extradition request and were prevented from doing so by the government — the very same people who are in the throes of an economic crisis and are seeking to borrow money from an institution that is controlled by the government of the United States.

Given the above scenario, I would suggest that we should not hold out much hope that the request for a loan from the IMF will be approved until all of the above conditions are met in full.

Ken Spencer

PO Box 537

Kingston 8