VZCZCXRO3061
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHKG #0703/01 2172000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 042000Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6630
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINGSTON 000703 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (ACADIEUX) (VDEPIRRO) 
WHA/EPSC (MROONEY) 
EEB/ESC/IEC (GGRIFFIN) 
EEB/TPP/IPE (JHALLOCK) 
SANTO DOMINGO FOR FCS AND FAS 
TREASURY FOR ERIN NEPHEW 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ENRG EAIR EINV ECON ETRD EIND IADB IBRD IMF TRSY
XL, JM 
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: JULY ECONOMIC REVIEW 
 
REF: A) KINGSTON 542 
B) KINGSTON 365 
C) KINGSTON 263 
D) 07 KINGSTON 1614 
E) KINGSTON 490 
F) KINSTON 343 
G) KINGSTON 648 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: 
 
-- Air Jamaica losses USD 85 million in the first quarter and 
revamps its corporate board. 
 
-- Energy expert Dr. Raymond Wright is optimistic about Jamaica's 
potential for offshore natural gas. 
 
-- Wigton Windfarm plans to double in size by adding 18 megawatts of 
new wind turbines. 
 
-- Energy Minister Clive Mullings announces plans to build a 120 
megawatt petcoke cogeneration plant at a cost of USD 300 million. 
 
-- The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has finalized an agreement to 
sell the former state-owned sugar estates to Brazil's Infinity 
Bio-energy. 
 
-- Jamaica's export earnings from bauxite/alumina grew by more than 
14 percent in 2007 to USD 1.3 billion, fueled by demand from China 
and other emerging economies.  The President and CEO of Alcoa 
visited its operations in Jamaica to discuss a potential expansion. 
 
-- The Burger King and Popeye's franchise owner purchased nearly USD 
1 million in restaurant equipment from the U.S. through assistance 
from Ex-Im bank 
 
-- Tourism Minister Bartlett says the GOJ will sign a tourism 
agreement with Cuba next month. 
 
-- Finance Minister Audley Shaw announced a 37 percent jump in taxes 
collected for June 2008 versus June 2007; the increase USD 170 
million increase in tax revenue highlights the success of Shaw's tax 
amnesty program. 
 
-- Alternative investment scheme Olint has collapsed; its offices 
are closed in Kingston and its offices in Turks and Caicos were 
raided by police as part of an investigation into possible financial 
fraud. 
 
--------------------- 
Aviation/ Air Jamaica 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Air Jamaica has experienced an increase in flight delays 
and cancellations as the struggling airline continues to limp along 
(reftel A).  (COMMENT: Post has noticed that the diplomatic pouch 
which travels on Air Jamaica's cargo service has been increasingly 
delayed due to airline staff shortages and reports of maintenance 
issues causing aircraft delays are on the rise. End Comment).  The 
airline, which underwent a major board reshuffling on July 3, has 
lost more than USD 85 million in the first five months of the year, 
according to a speech by Finance Minister Audley Shaw to Parliament 
on July 15. Shaw told Parliament that USD 9.6 million of the losses 
were incurred from leasing two A340 aircraft. Shaw said some of the 
first quarter losses were covered through funds raised from a bond 
issued through Bear Stearns (prior to its collapse) and USD 20 
million from Venezuela's PetroCaribe Development Fund. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The new board includes Derick Latibeaudiere (Governor of 
the Bank of Jamaica) Colin Steele (financial analyst and former 
chair of economic policy for the Private Sector Organization of 
Jamaica) and Chris Berry (a respected investment advisor and 
Chairman of Mayberry Investments). Canadian David Banmiller is being 
considered to replace Board chair Shirley Williams to run daily 
operations at the airline. Banmiller served as CEO of Air Jamaica 
from 2003 to 2004; during his tenure he cut upper management by 36 
percent, through layoffs and a hiring freeze.  When Banmiller was 
not able to take the airline in the direction he wanted, he left to 
run Aloha Airlines based in Hawaii.  He successfully navigated Aloha 
through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Environment/ Renewable Energy/ Energy 
------------------------------------- 
 
KINGSTON 00000703  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) Respected Energy Consultant and manager of special projects 
at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), Dr. Raymond Wright, 
told the Gleaner newspaper on July 6 that Jamaica's coastal waters 
may contain reserves of 2.5-3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. 
Three foreign firms are currently working in Jamaica to explore 20 
offshore blocks for oil and gas.  Australian-based Finder 
Exploration is expected to start drilling by November of 2009. 
Although it would take years to exploit, any commercially viable 
discovery of natural gas would be a tremendous asset to Jamaica, 
which currently suffers an energy crisis brought on by dependency on 
imported oil.  Jamaica's current electricity costs are 31 cents per 
kilowatt hour, compared to 4 cents per kilowatt hour in Trinidad 
which relies on its significant resources of natural gas and 14 
cents per kilowatt hour for other Caribbean countries. 
 
¶5. (U) Jamaica will be expanding its 20 megawatt Wigton Windfarm by 
hiring Vestas Wind Systems based in Denmark to add nine more 
turbines for an additional 18 megawatts.  Wigton is owned by the 
Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ).  Currently, Wigton has 23 
turbines that have an installed capacity of 900 kilowatts each; the 
wind farm generates seven to nine megawatts on average.  The cost of 
the project will be USD 47.6 million.  It is not yet clear how PCJ 
will finance this expansion.  Power produced at Wigton is sold into 
the national grid under a 20-year power purchase agreement with 
Jamaica Public Service Company Limited, the sole power distributor. 
 
¶6. (U) Jamaica Broilers (JB) announced it will invest USD 15 million 
to expand its ethanol business. JB sold 45 million gallons of 
ethanol to the United States in the last ten months under the 
benefits of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). One of the two 
largest poultry businesses in Jamaica, the firm has expanded into 
ethanol by opening a plant in July 2007.  The ethanol plant was 
built at a cost of USD 17.7 million (reftel D), but has generated 
close to USD 100 million for the firm since opening. 
 
¶7. The PCJ, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) 
and the Ministry of Energy announced on July 23 that it signed a 
letter of intent to construct a 100-120 megawatt petroleum coke 
(petcoke) cogeneration plant at a cost of USD 300 million.  The 
plant will be located at Hunts Bay and is scheduled to begin 
operation in 2013. Petcoke is a byproduct of the refining process 
and can be used to generate power at a cost lower than petroleum 
thermal generators currently used.  Once completed the plant would 
bring Jamaica's installed capacity to just under 1,000 megawatts. 
During the signing Minster of Energy Clive Mullings said that the 
project "marked a new era of diversification and efficiency in the 
generation sector." 
 
--------------------------- 
Foreign and U.S. Investment 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The GOJ has finalized an agreement with Brazilian-based 
Infinity Bio-Energy for the sale of the assets of its former sugar 
estate parastatals.  Under the agreement 75 percent of the assets 
will be transferred to Infinity on September 30; the GOJ will retain 
a 25 percent interest for at least three years.  The agreement is 
supported by the National Workers Union and the All-Island Jamaica 
Cane Farmers' Association Infinity selected in April and was the 
only firm out of eight bidders to make it through the tender 
process. The GOJ hopes the deal will help Jamaica develop its 
potential for sugar-based ethanol (reftel E). 
 
¶9. (U) The State Minister for Mining and Telecommunications, Laurie 
Broderick, told the Parliament on July 8 that Jamaica's gross export 
earnings from bauxite/alumina grew by more than 14 percent in 2007 
to USD 1.3 billion.  He said Jamaica's output of just over four 
million tons accounted for nearly six percent of global output; 
while world consumption grew by 12.7 percent to 74.57 million tons. 
The increase is being fueled by demand from China and other emerging 
economies.  Broderick anticipates a three percent increase in total 
bauxite production in 2008. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Alcoa President and CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld, visited Jamaica 
in July telling reporters, "Jamaica should be a crown jewel for 
Alcoa."  Alcoa had been considering a possible second phase 
expansion of its operations; the first phase was completed in early 
¶2006. The bauxite industry is extremely energy intensive, absorbing 
50 percent of power produced on the island.  The GOJ has not been 
able to find a suitable alternative power source to support the 
proposed Alcoa expansion.  Plans to obtain Liquefied Natural Gas 
(LNG) from Trinidad and Tobago were unsuccessful. 
 
KINGSTON 00000703  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
----- 
Trade 
----- 
 
¶11. (U) Restaurant Associates Limited, which owns the Burger King 
and Popeye's franchises in Jamaica, is purchasing restaurant 
equipment from the U.S. valued at USD 992,240.  The equipment will 
be used in opening five new Burger King and Popeye's restaurants in 
Trinidad and Tobago.  The purchase is being supported through a loan 
guarantee from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.  Restaurant Associates 
owns a total of 36 restaurants in Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and 
Tobago, and St. Lucia). 
 
-------------- 
Tourism Sector 
-------------- 
 
¶12. (U) The GOJ intends to sign a tourism agreement with Cuba. 
Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett did not provide specific details, but 
told reporters of the Gleaner newspaper that, "Jamaica stands ready 
to assist Cuba in its tourism business and a formal memorandum of 
understanding will be signed in Kingston in August.  Bartlett added 
that the two countries would explore the possibility of marketing 
tourism packages that combine visits to both Cuba and Jamaica.  The 
two countries already have tourism linkages through investors that 
own hotels in both destinations. 
 
--------------------------- 
Budget / Tax Revenue / Debt 
--------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw 
announced a 37 percent increase in taxes collected in June 2008 from 
the same month last year.  The USD 170 million in increased tax 
revenue this year is partially attributed to Shaw's successful tax 
amnesty.  Shaw decided to extend the 100 percent amnesty on interest 
and penalties an additional month, to July 31, to allow those who 
were still trying to come into compliance to take advantage of the 
program.  Shaw said collection of arrears has increased by 71 
percent.  The amnesty will decline each month until it is ends on 
October 31. (reftels B and F).  Shaw renewed his promise of using 
tax payers money more effectively saying, "paying taxes is to be a 
partnership, pay your taxes and watch your money being spent in a 
transparent and fiscally responsible way."  Shaw said the GOJ wants 
to harmonize corporate tax rates (33.33 percent) with personal 
income tax rates (25 percent) and subsequently lower the overall 
rates on both. 
 
------------------------------ 
Alternative Investment Schemes 
------------------------------ 
 
¶14. (SBU) The currency trading alternative investment scheme know as 
Olint closed its offices in Kingston, citing threats against the 
lives of its employees; the following day Olint's offices and the 
home of CEO David Smith were raided in Turks and Caicos (reftel G). 
According to press reports, Smith's assets have been frozen in the 
Turks and Caicos Islands as part of a probe into allegations of 
financial fraud.  Smith also is being sued by two former clients who 
are seeking to recover USD 3.3 million plus interest that they claim 
they invested with Olint.  In court documents Christopher Walker 
claims he lost nearly USD 2.5 million and Michael Belcher claims he 
lost USD 800,000. The claimants are seeking damages for "fraudulent 
representation" and have asked for a court order seeking a 
disclosure of Smith's assets. 
JOHNSON