Matalon urges customs duty reform at Caricom level

BY STEVEN JACKSON Business reporter jacksons@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, October 12, 2014    

DISHONEST importers continue to mis-classify a raft of items including “synthetic hair” in order to benefit from cheaper duty, stated Joseph M Matalon on Thursday night.

As such, he wants Government to review tariffs that hike duty on primary products but slash tax on finished goods made from the same material, arguing that they impact the country especially as it relates to Caribbean Community (Caricom) imports.

“Articles of synthetic hair attract duty of 20 per cent, but articles of human hair attract duty of 5.0 per cent,” he said. “…and I must tell you, vast amounts [of human hair] were imported into the island,” said Matalon, who heads the Private Sector Working Group on tax reform and is also chairman of ICD Group.

Matalon was addressing the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) 46th Annual Awards Banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

Weave imports are set to hit $1 billion this year, based on growth over the last four years. The island imported US$7 million ($770 million) worth of the product in 2012, up from US$3.3 million in 2008, according to the International Trade Centre, an affiliate of the World Trade Organisation and United Nations.

“The complexity of our tariff structure and the number and wide disbursement of duty rates imposed, even within a single tariff, provide myriad opportunities for unscrupulous importers to mis-classify imports in an effort to evade legitimate customs charges,” explained Matalon, who gave another example of red kidney beans which attract duty of 40 per cent while red beans (processed) attract no import charge.

His reference was to trade mechanisms under the present tariff structure that, by and large, “impose protective tariffs on primary products” while allowing “low or zero tariff on finished goods of those same primary products”.

“In both cases I have cited, the rigidity of the current CET prevents us from undertaking reforms, from addressing these issues to the benefit of the economy and all its participants,” he said. “I have no doubt, if polled, that all the national customs departments in the region — with the possible exception of Trinidad [the largest Caricom trader] — would share this view.

“Surely, as the largest consumer market in Caricom, Jamaica can — and has a duty — and must demand that these issues be addressed through a reform process at the level of Caricom itself,” he said, eliciting applause from the roughly 500 guests.

Imports into Jamaica are greatest from the USA, followed by Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago (T&T).

“In my own view, if we are to remain in the unit — not on the basis of sentimental historical inaction, but on the basis of true mutual benefit — then maintaining the status quo is not a serious option,” he concluded.

Last year, the JMA claimed that manufacturers from T&T were misrepresenting items as originating from within Caricom — which would entitle the goods to duty-free status. However, a rate of duty or common external tariff is applied on products originating from outside the grouping.

In fact, last year’s JMA guest speaker, former Industry Minister Claude Clarke, called for Government to suspend the CET for the duration of the Jamaica‘s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2012 indicates that Jamaica‘s annual trade deficit with Caricom narrowed to US$775.3 million relative to US$916.0 million in 2011. The improvement was attributed to a 22.4 per cent rise in exports to US$83.2 million and a 12.7 per cent reduction in imports to US$858.6 million.

On Thursday, Red Stripe was named Manufacturer of the Year to top off a night on which the brewery claimed five awards in total — more than any other company this year.

The other awards that went to Red Stripe included Champion Exporter in the category of large exporter, Digicel Business ICT, NCBJ Best Environmental Management, and Robert Lightbourne Skills & Productivity.

JMA President Brian Pengelley, in his address, said that local manufacturers were finding new markets, including Brazil, India, Africa and China and the Caribbean.

“There is a niche market for processed foods, beverages, indigenous high quality fashion. In South Africa there is demand for tea, coffee, beers and rice. In Cuba, our closest neighbour, there is demand for processed foods and beverages. Also opportunity is ripe for export to the French Caribbean including Guadeloupe,” Pengelley said.

Some of the larger awards included the Ray Hadeed Award for best small and medium enterprise, which went to Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances; the Eddie Hall Award for New Manufacturer of the Year went to Spring Vale Enterprise; the C Henderson Davis Award for Breakthrough Product of the Year went to Fersan Ltd. Champion Exporter medium size went to PA Benjamin, while Champion Exporter small size went to Honey Bun.

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Matalon urges customs duty reform at Caricom level

Windies back to bad habits as India level series

NEW DELHI, India (CMC) — A now familiar batting implosion derailed West Indies’ run chase, as the Caribbean side quickly returned to their old habits in a 48-run defeat to India here yesterday.

In pursuit of 264 for victory in the second One-Day International at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, West Indies slumped from 170 for two in the 36th over to 215 all out off 46.3 overs – losing their last eight wickets for just 45 runs.

Opener Dwayne Smith missed out on a maiden ODI hundred with a run-a-ball career-best 97, and it was his dismissal in the 36th over that triggered the fatal slide.

Kieron Pollard, promoted to number three, managed 40 from 50 balls, while Darren Bravo, who opened with Smith, scored 26 from 44 deliveries.

They were the only three batsmen to pass 20, however, as seamer Mohammed Shami (4-36) combined with left-arm spinner Ravi Jadeja (3-44) to destroy the innings.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, finding bounce and turn, dried up the scoring in the middle overs and put pressure on the middle order and his spell of two for 40 from his 10 overs proved incisive.

India had earlier posted 263 for seven off their 50 overs, with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina both striking 62 and captain MS Dhoni rallying the innings at the end with an important unbeaten 51 off 40 balls.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor picked up three wickets, but conceded an expensive 54 runs from his 10 overs.

The defeat saw India level the five-match series at 1-1, with the third match carded for Tuesday in Visakhapatnam.

Coming off a clinical performance in Wednesday’s first ODI in Kochi, the Windies had hoped for a repeat but sustaining those lofty standards proved beyond their reach.

They started well, however, reducing India to 74 for three in the 18th over, after the hosts won the toss and opted for first knock.

Taylor got one to come back to Shikhar Dhawan (1) in the second over to hit the left-hander’s off-stump with the score on four and his partner Ajinkya Rahane added 46 for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (32), before driving medium pacer Darren Sammy’s slower ball to Dwayne Bravo at cover, to fall for 12 in the 13th over.

When Rayudu, who faced 54 balls and struck three fours, edged left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn to Sammy at slip in the 18th over, the Windies were in command.

However, Kohli and Raina breathed life into the innings with a fourth-wicket stand of 105, a partnership that set the ground work for India’s late rally.

The right-handed Kohli faced 78 balls and struck five fours, while Raina lasted 70 balls and counted five fours and two sixes.

They eventually fell within 23 balls of each other, Raina holing out to Pollard at long-off off Taylor and Kohli also perishing in the deep, with Samuels taking the catch inches away from the ropes off seamer Ravi Rampaul.

On 196 for five in the 41st over, India needed someone to drive the innings and Dhoni stepped forward, hitting five fours and a six in shepherding the lower order.

In reply, West Indies got a patient start from Smith and Darren Bravo, the pair putting on 64 off 79 balls in a measured partnership.

Smith’s first 11 balls yielded just four runs but he blossomed well to hit 11 fours and two sixes. Darren Bravo never quite got going, and was bowled off-stump by Mohammed Shami playing down the wrong line, after counting two fours.

Smith and Pollard seemed to have put the Windies on course for victory in their 82-run, second-wicket partnership that lasted 94 balls.

Both played circumspectly but Pollard was unusually subdued with six runs from his first 16 balls. He cleared mid-wicket for six with Jadeja to mark his first boundary in the 19th over, and added a four and two more sixes, before missing a heave at Mishra in the 29th over and playing on at 136 for two.

Smith, meanwhile, picked off the boundaries when they came and moved to 48 by hammering seamer Umesh Yadav through cover for his sixth four in the 20th over before bringing up his seventh ODI half-century with a single to long-on in the next over.

He celebrated by lifting Mishra into the stands at mid-wicket and then smashed three fours off Kohli’s second over, the 32nd of the innings, to race to 87.

Smith struck Mohammed Shami cleanly back overhead for six to move to within three of a century, but was bowled off the very next ball, playing on to one that swung in, hit his pads and disturbed his stumps.

Stroke-maker Marlon Samuels was almost unrecognisable from the player who reeled off a sublime unbeaten 126 in the first ODI, and endured a painful struggle for 16 off 38 balls.

It was almost a relief when he swatted Yadav to Kohli at cover at the start of the 40th over at 183 for four, but those following him proved just as wasteful.

Scoreboard

INDIA

A Rahane c DJ Bravo b Sammy 12

S Dhawan b Taylor 1

A Rayudu c Sammy b Benn 32

V Kohli c Samuels b Rampaul 62

S Raina c Pollard b Taylor 62

*+MS Dhoni not out 51

R Jadeja b Taylor 6

B Kumar c Pollard b DJ Bravo 18

Mohammed Shami not out 1

Extras (b4, lb1, w13) 18

TOTAL (7 wkts, 50 overs) 263

Did not bat: A Mishra, U Yadav.

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dhawan, 1.4 overs), 2-50 (Rahane, 12.5), 3-74 (Rayudu, 17.4), 4-179 (Raina, 36.5), 5-196 (Kohli, 40.4), 6-219 (Jadeja, 45.1), 7-248 (Kumar, 49)

Bowling: Rampaul 8-0-47-1 (w2), Taylor 10-0-54-3 (w2), Benn 10-0-47-1 (w1), DJ Bravo 8-0-51-1 (1w), Sammy 4-0-14-1, Samuels 5-1-21-0, Russell 3-0-14-0 (w2), Pollard 2-0-10-0.

WEST INDIES

D Smith b Mohammed Shami 97

DM Bravo b Mohammed Shami 26

K Pollard b Mishra 40

M Samuels c Kohli b Yadav 16

+D Ramdin c Raina b Mishra 3

*DJ Bravo c Dhawan b Mohammed Shami 10

A Russell st Dhoni b Jadeja 4

D Sammy b Jadeja 1

R Rampaul c & b Mohammed Shami 16

J Taylor c Kumar b Jadeja 0

S Benn not out 0

Extras (lb1, w1) 2

TOTAL (all out, 46.3 overs) 215

Fall of wickets: 1-64 (DM Bravo, 13.1 overs), 2-136 (Pollard, 28.5), 3-170 (Smith, 35.4), 4-183 (Samuels, 39.1), 5-189 (Ramdin, 40.2), 6-195 (Russell, 42.1), 7-199 (Sammy, 43), 8-199 (DJ Bravo, 43.2), 9-201 (Taylor, 44.2), 10-215 (Rampaul, 46.3)

Bowling: Kumar 7-0-32-0, Yadav 9 9-0-42-1, Mohammed Shami 9.3-0-36-4, Jadeja 9-0-44-3 (w1), Mishra 10-2-40-2, Kohli 2-0-20-0.

Result: India won by 48 runs.

Series: Five-match series level 1-1.

Man-of-the-Match: Mohammed Shami.

Toss: India.

Umpires: I Gould, S Ravi; TV – C Shamshuddin.

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Windies back to bad habits as India level series

Five year plan to increase level of physical fitness presented

The National Plan for the Prevention and Control of  Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Jamaica was tabled in the House of  Representatives yesterday.  

The five-year strategic plan is aimed at tackling the prevalence of  NCD’s in Jamaica and addresses the four major conditions causing death and illness among Jamaicans: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease. 

One of  the main goals of  the plan is to increase physical activity among Jamaicans by 10 percent by 2025.
Discussions are also taking place with the Ministry of  Education to reintroduce compulsory physical education in schools. According to the Health Minister, obesity is the number one health problem in Jamaica from which many NCDs develop, including diabetes and as much as 90 percent of  cancers.

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Five year plan to increase level of physical fitness presented

Boyd among 32 for Advanced Level 1 Coaching Course

FORMER national striker Walter Boyd is expected to be among the group of 32 participants at the 15th Advanced Level One Coaching Course under the JMMB/JFF/UTech coaching school, which begins today.

The course will be held at the JFF Football Centre, the location of Jamaica’s FIFA Goal Project.

The JFF has tried to keep the size of each group in keeping with FIFA’s standards in order to maximise the learning potential and the interaction.

The group also includes current national player Montrose Phinn and a high number of youth coaches at the club, school and community levels.

The course will run from today through next week Friday, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.

The opening session will be addressed by president of the JFF, Captain Horace Burrell, and representatives of sponsor Joan Duncan Foundation (a member of the JMMB Group) and the University of Technology. The opening session begins at 9:30 am.

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Boyd among 32 for Advanced Level 1 Coaching Course

Grass-roots Football Programme moves to a higher level

Sport

Saturday, September 14, 2013

The Digicel/Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Grassroots Programme moves to a higher level when the 18th festival moves to the Three Hills Community Football field in St Mary today.When the JFF announced the programme, which is aimed at introducing the rudiments of the game to children aged 6-12, it indicated that the programme would have four components:1 The staging of festivals in all parishes, targeting 100 children at each. To date, 17 festivals have been held with over 2,000.2 The staging of coaching education workshops aimed at teaching coach educators, at the parish level, the best means of imparting the basics of the game to this age group. To date, over 500 coach educators across the island have been involved in these workshops.3 The appointment of Grass-roots coordinators in each parish. All parishes have recently appointed a Grass-roots coordinator.4 The provision of equipment to the parishes to facilitate a continuous Grass-roots programme at the parish level.Today, the first stock of equipment will be handed over to the St Mary FA at the end of the festival, which is scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm. It is expected that the parishes will use the equipment to have small festivals.The JFF had made representation to FIFA for some assistance with Grassroots equipment and FIFA recently approved an allocation to the JFF.

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Grass-roots Football Programme moves to a higher level

First IAAF Level 1 coaches’ course draws to a close

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Expectations are that western Jamaica will start to directly benefit as soon as next season from the first IAAF Level 1 coaches’ certification course held outside of the Corporate Area.

Twenty-one participants from western Jamaica are taking part in the 10-day Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)- sanctioned course, which is being hosted at the Montego Bay Community College. It started on Wednesday, July 17, and will end tomorrow afternoon.IAAF-certified instructors Wayne Long and Lorna Vernon are the instructors, and each participant was given books and other literature on proper coaching techniques.Stephen Smith, president of the County of Cornwall Athletics Association (COCAA), organisers of the course, told the Jamaica Observer that he expected to see the improvement almost immediately, especially at the primary school level.“A number of the participants would have been taught the formal way how to coach for the first time and this will be significant, as they will pass on this knowledge to their students as well as others,” Smith said.“We have others who would have been taught on different occasions at different places, including GC Foster, but to be IAAF certified, one must sit an IAAF designed course.”The stipulations of the course are that only 24 participants are allowed in each cohort and Smith said they got the maximum number, but three were unable to attend. “This is good for western Jamaica as it exposes more young coaches from all levels, prep schools, primary schools and even high schools to internationally accepted coaching methods.”Long told the Observer that the course had gone very well so far. “Things are going very, very good and the students are very receptive and open to new ideas and willing to learn.”The course, he said, would qualify them “to coach at the youth level, to spot talent and to be assistant coaches at their high schools”.Each student will sit a written exam at the end and have to get 45 out of 60 to pass.The curriculum includes “all aspects of kids athletics”, Long said. “We took them through all aspects of throws, jumps, running and race walking.”

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First IAAF Level 1 coaches’ course draws to a close

Haile Mikael for FIVB Level I Coaches Course in St Lucia

Sport

Saturday, July 20, 2013

ANOTHER Jamaican volleyball coach will have the opportunity to further develop his technical competence when a FIVB Level I Coaches Course serves off in St Lucia from July 21 to 31.Haile Mikael, who has been the brain-child behind Primary-level school volleyball in Westmoreland, will attend the course.“Haile is an inspiration to me,” said Major Warrenton Dixon, President of the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA).“It was he who conceptualised and implemented the current Primary-level school volleyball competition, which he initiated in Westmoreland. He is primarily responsible for my belief that despite all the odds, the competition could be run if we wanted it to.“We have been doing so without sponsorship since 2009 and I had the joy of watching a product of that competition compete in the Under-19 Beach Volleyball Championship in Portugal recently. Mikael’s continued involvement at the grass-roots level of volleyball is therefore well worthy of this investment.”Mikael has coached three of the teams to have won the four-year-old Westmoreland Primary-level Schools Volleyball Competition. He is also currently involved in the execution of the JaVA U-13 volleyball programme in Westmoreland.“I am very pleased that JaVA considers my effort worthy of investment and has sent me on this course,” stated Mikael. “I am very passionate about volleyball and I like the direction in which it is heading in Jamaica. Grass-roots development in any sport is very important for sustainability, so I lift my hat to JaVA for the emphasis they have placed on this.”Mikael was slated to depart the island yesterday, and he returns on August 2. The cost of his participation in the course will be covered in the main by the North, Central America and Caribbean (NORCECA) Volleyball Confederation.

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Haile Mikael for FIVB Level I Coaches Course in St Lucia

Windies level series with 37-run win over Pakistan

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — West Indies registered a 37-run victory over Pakistan and levelled their five-match series 1-1 in the second ODI at the Providence Stadium yesterday.

Spinner Sunil Narine pulled the match around for West Indies in the late afternoon, grabbing four wickets for 26 that steered them to victory. He was also named man-of-the-match.Chasing 233 for victory, after West Indies posted 232 for eight off their 50 overs, Pakistan were restricted to 195 as the hometeam won with 13 balls to spare.Pakistan were unable to produce the acceleration they showed in the first match, when they defeated West Indies by 126 runs at the same venue, as the West Indies combined pace and spin attack kept them in check.They owed their total to a dogged but chancy 54, off 94 balls, from opener Nasir Jamshed, who benefited from four chances before he was fifth out off the bowling of Pollard.From 103 for three off 28 overs, Pakistan struggled to 164 for eight in the 44th over as Narine sent back the aggressive Shahid Afridi (5) , Wahb Riaz (3) and Saeed Ajmal (1) cheaply.Captain Dwayne Bravo then formalised the result in the 48th over as he had wicketkeeper Umar Akmal (50 off 46 balls) and tailender Asad Ali caught off successive deliveries .On a pitch that offered assistance to bowlers, West Indies owed what proved to be a winning total to an important second wicket partnership between opener Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo and later in the innings, a 70-run sixth-wicket partnership between captain Dwayne Bravo (43 not out) and Keiron Pollard (30).After Chris Gayle was dismissed in the first over, DM Bravo, who scored a responsible 54, and Charles, 31, put on 80 for the second wicket to steer a recovery.Dwayne Bravo and Pollard later provided some late acceleration in the innings and pushed them well over 200.Pollard, who has exhibited a poor run of form in recent matches, played aggressively and struck the second of two sixes in the innings before he was yorked by paceman Asad Ali, leaving West Indies on 220 for six in the 49th over.West Indies then added another 12 runs, while surrendering the wickets of Darren Sammy and Kemar Roach. Both were run out by Pakistani wicketkeeper Umar Akmal, attempting singles on balls that missed the bat and went through to the ‘keeper. Akmal showed uncanny accuracy in hitting the stumps on both occasions with his gloves still on.The win in Guyana allowed West Indies to level the five-match series 1-1, with the three remaining matches to be played in St Lucia. SCOREBOARDWest Indies InningsChris Gayle c Akmal b Irfan 1Johnson Charles st Akmal b Afridi 31Darren Bravo b Ajmal 54Marlon Samuels b Ajmal 21Lendl Simmons c Akmal b Afridi 10Dwayne Bravo not out 43Kieron Pollard b Ali 30Darren Sammy run out 3Kemar Roach run out 0Sunil Narine not out 1Extras: (5b, 11lb, 21w, 1nb) 38TOTAL: (for 8 wickets) 232Overs: 50.Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-81, 3-123, 4-137, 5-150, 6-220, 7-226, 8-226.Did not bat: Jason Holder.Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 10-0-38-1 (1nb 2w), Asad Ali 6-1-35-1 (6w), Saeed Ajmal 10-0-45-2 (8w), Mohammad Hafeez 7-0-32-0, Wahab Riaz 7-0-37-0 (3w), Shahid Afridi 10-0-29-2 (2w).Pakistan InningsNasir Jamshed c Roach b Pollard 54Ahmed Shehzad c Charles b Roach 19Mohammad Hafeez c Simmons b Narine 20Misbah-ul-Haq b Sammy 17Asad Shafiq c Holder b Samuels 10Umar Akmal c Samuels b Dwayne Bravo 50Shahid Afridi st Charles b Narine 5Wahab Riaz b Narine 3Saeed Ajmal c Sammy b Narine 1Asad Ali c Pollard b Dwayne Bravo 2Mohammad Irfan not out 0Extras: (3lb, 11w) 14TOTAL: (all out) 195Overs: 47.5.Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-64, 3-103, 4-122, 5-137, 6-151, 7-162, 8-164, 9-195, 10-195.Bowling: Kemar Roach 6-4-14-1, Jason Holder 7-2-30-0 (7w), Sunil Narine 10-1-26-4 (1w), Darren Sammy 10-0-46-1 (1w), Marlon Samuels 7-0-32-1 (2w), Kieron Pollard 6-0-35- 1, Dwayne Bravo 1.5-0-9-2Toss: Pakistan.Result: West Indies won by 37 runs.Series: 5-match series is level at 1-1.Umpires: Nigel Llong (England),Peter Nero (West Indies).TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel (Australia).Match Referee: David Boon, Australia.GEORGETOWN, Guyana — West Indies batsman Darren Bravo sweeps Pakistan bowler Saeed Ajmal during the second ODI at Guyana National Stadium here, yesterday. West Indies won by 37 runs. (PHOTO: AFP)

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Windies level series with 37-run win over Pakistan