This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINGSTON 002784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PDA 
STATE ALSO FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO), EB/TPP, AND EB/IFD 
STATE ALSO DOE CA/OCS/ACS/WHA (RUTH BRANSON) 
STATE PASS OPIC FOR TABERNAKI 
CUSTOMS MIAMI FOR LOWEN AND MAHABIR 
SANTO DOMINGO FOR FCS, FAS, AND LEGATT 
STATE PASS USTR FOR A. GASH-DURKIN 
DOJ FOR OPDAT/R LIPMAN 
TREASURY FOR LAMONICA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EFIN ECON EINV PHUM ELAB KHIV JM
SUBJECT: KINGSTON POL/ECON ROUNDUP: DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 
23, 2005 
 
Ref: A. KINGSTON 02728 
 
¶1.   This week's topics: 
 
  -- Police Officers on Trial for Murder 
  -- Telecommunications Company Goes Belly-up 
  -- Electricity Thieves Cost Power Company 
  -- Cricket World Cup 
  -- Bauxite Industry Labor Issues 
  -- Weak Christmas Retail Season 
  -- Egg Farmers Seek Duty Protection 
  -- Economic Deprivation Causes Crime 
  -- Crime Statistics 
----------------------------------- 
Police Officers on Trial for Murder 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. Six members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) 
disbanded Crime Management Unit, including Senior 
Superintendent Reneto Adams, were charged in connection with 
the killing of four people at a home in Crawle, Clarendon 
(Ref A).  On December 12, the judge found that the 
prosecution failed to make a prima facie case against three 
of the officers and ordered the jury to free them.  On 
December 20, the jury found the remaining three officers not 
guilty.  It is anticipated that the officers could be back 
at their jobs in early 2006. 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Telecommunications Company Goes Belly-up 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. Just when the GOJ thought the information technology 
nightmare of 2002 was over, news has emerged that another 
company has failed.  Between 2000 and 2002 the GOJ loaned 
billions of Jamaican dollars to information technology (IT) 
companies to increase employment.  The amount of money a 
company was allowed to borrow was directly related to the 
number of Jamaicans that company employed.  However, by 2001 
some companies began to fold, ending with the high profile 
collapse of NetServ in 2002.  In late 2002, Touchpoint 
Centres International Jamaica Ltd bought the assets of 
NetServ for JMD 240 million (USD 3.8 million).  However, 
after losing its major client in September, Touchpoint laid 
off 200 workers and closed its operations.  The GOJ has 
appointed a receiver to oversee the sale of the companies' 
assets to interested parties. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Electricity Thieves Cost Power Company 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. The Mirant-owned Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has 
reported that electricity thieves have cost the company more 
that JMD 1 billion (USD 15.6 million) in revenues this year 
alone.  The company also reported that contrary to popular 
belief, the theft is not limited to inner-city communities, 
where the service is referred to as "social electricity." 
Company estimates also suggest that up to one third of the 
half a million customers engage in some form of irregularity 
such as meter tampering.  In an effort to stem the problem, 
JPS has started measuring and mapping losses, with 
preliminary results showing that commercial customers are 
the main culprits.  The company also plans to use covered 
conductors and other measures, which will make it more 
difficult for persons to connect and maintain illegal lines. 
 
----------------- 
Cricket World Cup 
----------------- 
 
¶5. With just 443 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of 
the 2007 Cricket World Cup, organizers still have much to 
do, and officials involved with preparations have hinted 
that some in the GOJ are "overconfident," and "lack a sense 
of urgency."  GOJ success in staging other, much smaller 
events, such as the 2002 World Youth Athletic Games and the 
2004 World Netball Games, have created a false optimism. 
Although it appears likely that the Jamaican venues will be 
completed ahead of the regional tournament, serious issues 
including travel and visa requirements, border security, 
event security, and infrastructure, still have yet to be 
adequately addressed.  Tickets for the event are scheduled 
to go on sale in January 2006. 
 
----------------------------- 
Bauxite Industry Labor Issues 
----------------------------- 
¶6. Workers at the West Indies Aluminum Company (Windalco) in 
Manchester returned to work yesterday after an agreement was 
reached regarding their action protesting cuts into their 
"productivity incentive."  Details of the agreement have not 
yet been released.  The Union of Technical, Administrative & 
Supervisory Personnel (UTASP) served a strike notice on 
Jamalco on behalf of 150 workers.  The dispute involves 
overtime compensation for supervisory and clerical workers. 
The notice takes effect next Monday, December 26, at 9:00 
pm.  UTASP issued an additional notice on behalf of 250 
contracted workers (for whom the union is seeking bargaining 
rights) who will not break the picket lines if there is a 
strike by the UTASP-represented employees. 
 
---------------------------- 
Weak Christmas Retail Season 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. Retailers are predicting that this year's Christmas 
shopping season could be the weakest in several years.  They 
blame the slipping Jamaican dollar, the increase in the 
General Consumption Tax this year to 16.5%, and across-the- 
board price increases in everything from petrol to school 
fees.  The hope is that the GOJ's provision of Christmas 
bonuses will spur a last-minute rush to save the season, but 
it seems clear that spending levels will not match last 
year. 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
Egg Farmers Seek Duty Protection 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8. Under presumed threat to the domestic egg industry, 
poultry farmers have chided the GOJ for its continued 
approval of imports of eggs, particularly liquefied egg 
products. The industry, which produced approximately 10.58 
million dozen fresh eggs valued at JMD 947 million (USD 14.8 
million), is a significant source of income for rural 
households along the South Central coast. Globally, Jamaica 
is the fifth (5th) largest market for U.S. exports of eggs 
and related products, amounting to USD 12 million (4.3 
million Kgs.) per year. Egg farmers expect the GOJ to 
incorporate table eggs and related products under the 
existing 260 percent duty protection that is imposed on 
poultry. 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
Economic Deprivation Causes Crime 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶9. A new study published by the Planning Institute of 
Jamaica on "Women in Prison" has cited economic deprivation 
as the main reason (85.7 percent) for the incarceration of 
females.  The study showed that 86 percent of the inmates 
were incarcerated for drug offences and came from poor 
communities, living in poor households, which are generally 
headed by a single female.  Conditions in the prison were 
rated negatively by 94 percent of the inmates, who cited 
clothing, health and meals as being poor.  The study also 
focused on the impact of incarceration on the children of 
inmates. For the most part, children revealed high levels of 
depression, embarrassment, shame, anger, maltreatment by 
some caregivers and deterioration in school grades. 
 
---------------- 
Crime Statistics 
---------------- 
 
¶10.  Based on statistics provided by the Jamaica 
Constabulary Force (JCF), the country experienced 1,617 
murders between January 1 and December 22, 2005.  The 
previous record for murders reported in Jamaica was 1,469 in 
¶2004. 
 
TIGHE 
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