THIS DAY IN OUR PAST
The following events took place on April 20 in the years identified:
1982: A call for structural adjustments
within the economy in order to achieve stability is made by Roy Collister, president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. In his monthly statement to the Chamber, Collister says the current account deficit in 1981 amounted to $410 million.“What this in effect means is that, in 1981, we lived beyond our means to the tune of US$410 million”, he says. According to the C of C president, if Jamaicans are to live within their means it required dramatic expansion of export performance. He calls on the manufacturing sector to take maximum advantage of the Caribbean Basin Initiative in order to achieve the desired result. The twin pillars of capital and labour need to produce and export their way out of the present economic difficulties, he says. On the capital side, he calls again for tax relief on dividends in order to put dividends on par with bank interest. 1994: Jamaica and Colombia are moving apace to strengthen and increase ties between both nations. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and President Cesar Gaviria of Colombia sign a scientific and technical cooperation agreement and a Tourism cooperation agreement in Bogota, Colombia. The agreements will provide the framework for collaboration in the development of the tourism industries of both countries and will also provide opportunities for cooperation in areas such as agriculture, language training and in the exchange of experts and information. Both leaders emphasise the need to increase trade and investments between the two countries. President Gaviria extends an invitation to Jamaica to participate in the international trade fair which will take place in Colombia in July. 1995: Jamaican farm workers now breathe a sigh of relief. An agreement is to be signed today between Jamaica and Canada to extend the Canadian Farm Workers Programme until the year 2000. The five-year programme is for the period January 1, 1995, to December 31, 1999, and is to be signed by Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sport Portia Simpson and Canadian Minister of Human Resources Lloyd Axworthy.