Highway robbery North, South, all bout

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

IT LOOK like seh di people dem weh in charge a di North-South Highway never study sums eena fi dem primary school. If 500 vehicle pay $1,000 toll, an 1,000 vehicle pay $500 toll, which money bigger? A di said same money.

Every time mi drive pon di North-South Highway, mi no see no whole heap a vehicle to dat. Wa mek dem no drop di price? Dem mighta mek nuff more money.

But no! Dem waan raise up di toll an dig out lickle more a di eye a di one an few driver dem weh a use di highway. Dem soon no have no eye at all, at all. An dem nah go able fi drive. A pure wickedness fi raise di toll. Dat a big-time highway robbery! Mi know seh a business dem a run. Dem nah look no friend. A money dem a defend. An fi wi lickle money no worth nutten much. So dem ha fi get nuff a it. But still! Dem no ha fi gwaan so bad. Mi well an know seh nuff more vehicle a go put more pressure pon di road. But if it build good, it suppose fi can tek di pressure.

A di Jamaica North-South Highway Company Limited (JNSHC) a run di highway. No watch di name. Ascorden to fi dem website, dem a one “private company formed by China Communications Construction Company with the responsibility of developing, operating and maintaining the 66.470kilometre of road for a concessionary period of 50 years”. A who response fi stop dem from dig out wi eye? Wi kyaan depend pon Mike Henry one. Di whole a di Govament an di Opposition ha fi deal wid da one ya.

BUNTING A BABBLE

Last week Tuesday, Gleaner publish one editorial wid disya headline, ‘Peter Bunting’s Sino-babble’. Dem batter-bruise Bunting fi seh dat wi a suffer from “a new form of economic colonialism by Chinese businesses operating in Jamaica”. Gleaner admit seh “it may be factual that small Jamaican firms may have difficulty against the Chinese giants.” Oonoo see dem deh two ‘may’! Smaddy a play fool fi ketch wise. ‘May’ a one a dem undercover verb fi use when yu no directly waan fi tek a position.

Wa mek Gleaner no seh, “It is factual” an “small Jamaican firms have difficulty”? It look like seh ‘may be’ dem no waan nobody seh dem a babble gainst di Chiney people dem. Hear di question weh Gleaner a put to fi wi lickle company dem: “But is it perhaps possible for domestic firms to merge or create consortia to bid on megaprojects?” No matter how much join-up, join-up fi wi company dem do, dem nah go big laka all China Harbour. Dem a shark an wi a sprat! An dem a get nuff concession from Govament.

Den Gleaner fling big stone pon Bunting: “And rather than merely making declarations, Mr Bunting, having served in Government, should, with empirical information, be able to show how Jamaican government policies discriminate against domestic firms in favour of Chinese ones and ways that this might be redressed.” Mek mi gi Gleaner lickle “empirical information”. An a dem same one publish di story.

Inna March, Prime Minister Andrew Holness did sign contract wid China Construction America fi design an build di new Parliament building eena Heroes Park. No odder company no get no chance fi bid fi di contract. The Jamaica Institute of Architects an the Jamaican Institution of Engineers rail up. Dem mek plenty noise bout how Govament dis gi di big work to di Chiney people dem. Last Thursday, Gleaner publish one next story, ‘J’cans will design, build new Parliament building – UDC’. Case close. Fi now.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

IT LUK laik se di piipl dem we in chaaj a di North-South Highway neva stodi somz iina fi dem praimeri skuul. If 500 viikl pie $1,000 tuol, an 1,000 viikl pie $500 tuol, wich moni biga? A di sed siem moni. Evri taim mi jraiv pan di North-South Highway, mi no si no uol iip a viikl tu dat. Wa mek dem no jrap di prais? Dem maita mek nof muor moni. Bot nuo! Dem waahn riez op di tuol an dig out likl muor a di yai a di wan an fyuu jraiva dem we a yuuz di aiwie. Dem suuhn no av no yai at aal, at aal. An dem naa go iebl fi jraiv. A pyuur wikidnis fi riez di tuol. Dat a big-taim aiwie rabri! Mi nuo se a bizniz dem a ron. Dem naa luk no fren. A moni dem a difen. An fi wi likl moni no wort notn moch. So dem a fi get nof a it. Bot stil! Dem no a fi gwaahn so bad. Mi wel an nuo se nof muor viikl a go put muor presha pan di ruod. Bot if it bil gud, it sopuoz fi kyan tek di presha.

A di Jamaica North-South Highway Company Limited a ron di aiwie. No wach di niem. Azkaadn tu fi dem websait, dem a wan “private company formed by China Communications Construction Company with the responsibility of developing, operating and maintaining the 66.470 kilometre of road for a concessionary period of 50 years”. A uu rispans fi stap dem fram dig out wi yai? Wi kyaahn dipen pan Mike Henry wan. Di uol a di Govament an di Apazishan a fi diil wid da wan ya.

BUNTING A BABL

Laas wiik Chuusde, Gleaner poblish wan edituoriyal wid disya edlain, ‘Peter Bunting’s Sinobabble’. Dem bata-bruuz Bunting fi se dat wi a sofa fram “a new form of economic colonialism by Chinese businesses operating in Jamaica”. Gleaner admit se: “It may be factual that small Jamaican firms may have difficulty against the Chinese giants.” Unu si dem de tuu ‘may’! Smadi a plie fuul fi kech waiz. ‘May’ a wan a dem aandakova vorb fi yuuz wen yu no dairekli waahn fi tek a pozishan.

Wa mek Gleaner no se, “It is factual” an “small Jamaican firms have difficulty”? It luk laik se ‘may be’ dem no waahn nobadi se dem a babl gens di Chaini people dem. Ier di kweschan we Gleaner a put tu fi wi likl kompini dem: “But is it perhaps possible for domestic firms to merge or create consortia to bid on megaprojects?” No mata omoch jain-op, jain-op fi wi kompini dem du, dem naa go big laka aal

China Harbour. Dem a shaak an wi a sprat! An dem a get nof kanseshan fram Govament.

Den Gleaner fling big stuon pan Bunting: “And rather than merely making declarations, Mr Bunting, having served in Government, should, with empirical information, be able to show how Jamaican government policies discriminate against domestic firms in favour of Chinese ones and ways that this might be redressed.” Mek mi gi Gleaner likl “empirical information”. An a dem siem wan poblish di stuori.

Ina Maach, Praim Minista Andrew Holness did sain kanchrak wid China Construction America fi dizain an bil di nyuu paaliment bildin iina Heroes Park. No ada kompini no get no chaans fi bid fi di kanchrak. The Jamaica Institute of Architects an the Jamaican Institution of Engineers riel op. Dem mek plenti naiz bout ou Govament dis gi di big wok tu di Chaini piipl dem. Laas Torsde, Gleaner poblish wan neks stuori, ‘J’cans will design, build new Parliament building – UDC’. Kies kluoz. Fi nou.