Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran has admitted that the 13 Jamaicans who were denied entry into T&T by the Immigration Division “could have the impact of spilling over into other things.” Yesterday, in a telephone interview, Dookeran continued to maintain that there was no row between Jamaica and T&T. He said he has been speaking with Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs minister, and there was no disagreement between the two countries. He said the media were putting their own interpretation on the issue.
Dookeran’s comments followed an article published in The Gleaner yesterday in which the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) called on its government to pursue the incident with urgency. The JMA said T&T’s approach was “divisive and foolhardy.” Jamaica imports approximately US$132 million worth of goods from T&T, excluding fuel, and approximately US$700 million inclusive of fuel, The Gleaner stated.
Dookeran said both countries have agreed to keep an eye on the developments “because it could escalate in the wider context of our relationships.” On Friday, Dookeran said he received a report from Immigration Division which outlined how the Jamaican’s were denied entry. T&T has also provided the Jamaican High Commission with information.
However, former foreign affairs minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said the matter had the potential to do significant damage to our bilateral relations with the Caricom Single Market and Economy. It can undermine the work of our manufacturers and T&T exports across the region, she said. Gopee-Scoon said T&T was considered a leader in Caricom, a position which has been attained through years of effective diplomacy by a series of governments.
President of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce Moonilal Lalchan called on the Government to pacify the situation. “Jamaica is our biggest Caricom trading partner by far. Therefore, it will have an adverse effect on our manufacturing sector,” Lalchan said. Lalchan said the chamber spoke to its members, who indicated that there was no immediate threat. “The worst-case scenario in this situation is that emotions run high and then there are restrictions with our goods going into Jamaica.”