KINGSTON, Jamaica — Basil Waite, the People’s National Party’s parliamentary candidate for North East St Elizabeth has expressed concerns for the livelihood of thousands of families in the parish, following reports that J Wray & Nephew is mulling the closure of sugar factory operations at Appleton Estate.

A Jamaica Observer story today reported that the company met with the unionised workers’ representatives in Kingston yesterday to discuss the future of the factory. The unions said 300-350 estate and factory unionised workers could lose their jobs by the end of the month.

“If true, this sudden decision provides no opportunity for a smooth transition, no chance to create alternative income, no planned diversification of the local economy, and absolutely nothing to cushion the certain devastation that will be brought on by this action,” Waite said in a statement today.

He argued that since the closure of Alpart, Appleton has been the largest employer in the parish and the lifeblood of the economy in St Elizabeth’s northern belt.

“It is not that a future without sugar cannot be contemplated. However, we are concerned that the undue haste with which this is being done without proper consultation is bound to exacerbate the certain economic and social disruption. We are of the view that sufficient consultations have not been carried out as to possible options that could be explored to keep the factory in operation,” Waite charged.

He suggested that the Government engage Wray & Nephew with a view to acquiring the capability of producing ‘Plantation White’ sugar for use in the local manufacturing industry.                                                              

This would also require that the Government supports discussions at Caricom to apply a 40 per cent Common External Tariff to white sugar manufactured outside the region, as is done for brown sugar, Waite said.

“The fact is that Jamaica has never produced a grain of white sugar, yet we import 70,000 tons of granulated sugar per year; almost double the 40,000 tons of brown sugar we consume per year. The same brown sugar we produce, in some stances, might have been re-processed and sold locally. Belize has led the way on this, and Guyana is following suit. Jamaica, meanwhile, is trapped in the paralysis of analysis,” said Waite.