Glen Christian (right) in discussion with Mandeville businessman Kevin O'Brien Chang at the annual awards banquet of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, held at the Golf View Hotel, Caledonia Road in Mandeville on Saturday. - photo by Barbara Ellington

Glen Christian, chief executive officer of Cari-Med Limited and Kirk Distributors has issued a call for politicians belonging to the two major political parties to "cut the crap" and put the development of country ahead of partisan politics.

Speaking at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce's annual awards and banquet at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, Christian also said Jamaicans should stop thinking of party ahead of country.

The theme for this year's event was "Reviving the Spirit of Entrepreneurism."

Christian's comments were made in the context of how Jamaica should respond to the global financial crisis.

No tribalism

He said that Jamaica could not afford the luxury of partisan political tribalism in light of the fact that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and other international agencies had all revised their projections for the world economy.

Those revisions have all pointed downwards and the financial crisis is not about to blow away soon.

"We cannot afford to roll over and die, I say 'yes we can', if, we see the global financial crisis as a wake-up call and realise that there are some luxuries we can no longer afford," he said.

He said the country had, for too long, languished in underdevelopment because they had not moved past invasive and pervasive party politics, but must now work together on one set of objectives.

One of the objectives he mentioned was adopting the Man-chester's 'closed to crime' initiative and aim at closing the entire country to crime.

"We cannot do so as long as we maintain garrisons, give contracts to political dons and 'shottas' connected to political parties and the interests of Jamaica are side-tracked because party interests take precedence. We cannot truly be open for business if we are not closed to crime," Christian stressed.

Entrepreneurship

Another solution to Jamaica's economic problems, Christian explained, was to facilitate the creation of much needed jobs by fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, since it was the business sector, not the politician which holds the key to eradicating poverty.

He pointed out that the business sector could help to end poverty so it should be able to operate in an environment hospitable to growth rather than waste, corruption, crime, government bureaucracy and red tape.

"If this country does not panic in the face of the storm clouds that face us in 2009, but becomes emboldened to put aside our differences and work in unity to achieve some critical targets, we would have won," he said.

'We cannot do so as long as we maintain garrisons, give contracts to political dons and 'shottas'.'