Clear police cars at wharf

THE EDITOR, Sir: O’BRIEN’S INTERNATIONAL Car Sales & Rentals imported 66 pre-owned motor vehicles for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) under a contract with the Government. However, to date, the vehicles are still lying on the wharf awaiting clearance.

I am told that the Ministry of National Security applied for a waiver of GCT, which was not granted by the Government for reasons I don’t understand. Crime and violence are on the increase, while the vehicles are on the wharf and no one knows when they will be cleared and handed over to the police.

The country should not be left in this precarious position. With crime out of control, I find it very strange that the Government refuses to grant a waiver of GCT. The minister of national security had promised that the JCF would have the vehicles for Christmas.

The country is now facing a crisis as the JCF’s fleet is badly depleted.

If the Ministry of National Security cannot clear these vehicles in short order, taking into consideration the accrual of daily storage per vehicle and other charges, I think he should resign.

There is a procedure that should be followed as it relates to the importation of a motor vehicle. All the necessary requirements should be met before the vehicle actually arrives in the island, unless a waiver(s) was granted.

Taking into consideration the facts as they are, I think the Government should appoint a task force with immediate effect to have these vehicles removed from the wharf forthwith.

Several persons have lost their lives because the police were not able to respond expeditiously to calls for help. JOSEPH M. CORNWALL (Sr) JP Managing Director/CEO House of Tranquillity Funeral Home Ltd tranquillityfh@yahoo.com