Video Calling Standards for Cross-Platform Video Calling – Beyonce and Lady Gaga VideoPhone Requiem

O ye who lead,

Take heed!

Blindness we may forgive, but baseness we smite.

William Vaughn Moody, An Ode in Time of Hesitation

Video Calling appears to be on track to hit the predicted milestone of twenty nine million (29,000,000). This statement is based on projections by  Juniper Research published in October 2010AD as stated in the article “Mobile Video Calling to hit 29 million users by 2015”, published October 12, 2010 9:10 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home and “Smart phone Video Calling adoption stymied: Juniper”, published Tuesday October 12, 4:28 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

Chatroulette, thus far the only Video Calling theme Social Network, is set to get a boost from this coming crush of Video Calling as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “Chatroulette, FaceTime and Smartphone Video Calling - The Thomas Crown Affair”.

Being the Fastest Rising Search Term on Google’s Zeitgeist List for 2010 as per the article “Chatroulette, iPad lead Google's Zeitgeist 2010”, published December 9, 2010 10:42 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home did not hurt either, as I myself saw this on my blog with a lot of search spikes for this VERY SAME article.

Earlier in 2010AD, the Apple iPhone 4 set the standard for Video Calling on a smartphone with the introduction of FaceTime. FaceTime marked the first true integration of a Video Calling Platform tailored uniquely for smartphones as per my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4.0 and Video Calling - FaceTime sets the standard”. 

The Apple iPhone 4S has been a modest improvement on Video Calling with better Front and Rear Facing HD Cameras as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” and my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S Post Mortem – Siri Voice Assistant and iMessage Rock”.

It seems though that FaceTime has not been made possible over Telecom Provider AT&T’s Network via the iOS 5.0 update. Strangely Skype has this privilege since June 2010AD as per the article “Skype for iPhone now support 3G, but free ride's ending”, published June 2 2010, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News and as noted in my blog article entitled “Skype and the Videophone - The Apple of my eye is FaceTime”.

Telecom Provider CLARO in Jamaica, before being gobbled up by Telecom Provider Digicel on Friday April 11^th 2011AD attempted to capitalize on Video Calling in the Apple iPhone. But they did very little advertising of its Video Calling capabilities.

Additionally, statistics from Analyst InStat and ABI Research in 2010AD indicate that more and more devices are coming pre-built with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in the article “Wi-Fi smart phones to dominate”, published March 23, 2010 3:01 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - CTIA 2010 and the article “More people buying Wi-Fi enabled devices”, published May 4, 2010 10:03 AM PDT by Lance Whitney CNET News – Wireless.

This puts Telecoms Providers that provide Wireless Broadband via proprietary 3G, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d, e) on their guard as evidenced from my Geezam Blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon”!

So the future of Video Calling here in Jamaica appears to be via Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks such as Wayne Chen and Lee’s family owned Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Limited via Laptops (now UltraBooks, their eventual replacement!!), smartphones and Tablets.

Remember folks, the NetBook is already extinct!!!

Smartphones sporting proprietary 3G, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d, e) Radios will also be popular, but less so than the already ubiquitous and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Open Architecture Standard already popular with Laptops, UltraBooks, smartphones and Tablets.

The same is also true in the US of A, as our American counterparts are most likely to make Video Calling more popular now that:

1.      Most smartphones sport a front-facing camera

2.      Wireless Broadband Speeds are getting faster, suitable for clear Video Calling

3.      Wireless Broadband Prices will get cheaper as Telecom Providers migrate to faster 4G LTE Networks

4.      3G, 4G LTE and WiMaX 4G Mobile Networks begin to support technology that allows Handover to Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as recorded in my blog article entitled “KDDI's Broadband WiMax and Wi-Fi Municipal Network - Ruckus's Japanese Flight of the Navigator”

5.      Spectrum freed up from the Analog Television DSO (Digital Switch Over) in 2009AD can be used for Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as recorded in my blog article entitled “Telecoms and White Spaces - A Man for All Seasons and the Big Bang Theory”

Throw in the fact that you can “steal” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) from Open Networks as noted in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon” and you can see the appeal of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

So what is needed to make Video Calling really take off?

Common Video Calling Standards, much as there is a need for common IM (Instant Messaging) Standards, which was my recommendation post the great BB Messenger Outage of October 2011AD as STRONGLY suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging”.

This as there is a smorgasbord of IM apps and programs for smartphones, Laptops and Tablets, but no common stand that allows them to talk to each other i.e. Yahoo Messenger, MSN, Skype, Fring, OoVoo, etc do not talk seamlessly to each other as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple and FaceTime - BladeRunner and Beyonce and Lady Gaga's Video Phone”.

So as I had recommended in the case of the Blackberry Messenger and Email failure, I would again recommend seamless secure Cross-Platform standard to allow these Video Calling Platforms and all up and coming Video Calling Platforms to be able to talk to each other.

It would also guarantee Video Calling Redundancy for users of one proprietary Video Calling Network, should in case their proprietary Networks fail e.g. FaceTime fails, they can re-route traffic over Server used by competitors to guarantee the five 9’s i.e. 99.999% uptime.

A good gesture among the varied Video Calling Program and app makers to make a clear break from the locked in proprietary models of PC and embrace the Developer driven models of UltraBooks, smartphones and Tablets in this “Post-PC Era”, courtesy of Beyonce and Lady Gaga Video Phone.

Cribbing from myself: Suggesting strongly that the Telecoms and IT boffins ironing out IM  and Video Calling Standards, with the declining usage of SMS and MMS and the rise of M2M (Machine-to-Machine) Communications, free SMS subsidized by increased Paid M2M Traffic.

An inevitability as described in my blog article entitled “Telecom Provider LIME and M2M Services - Free SMS and EDGE for the Caribbean to Foster Regional Integration”.

Rise of King Tobacco threatens Agriculture for Food – Vybz Kartel Hot Grabba killing Marijuana Farming

Statistics are like alienists – they will testify for either side

F. H. La Guardia, In Liberty, May 1933

Jamaican Agriculture is in serious Trouble, despite the 24% increase in crop production and 14% overall growth in the entire Agriculture Sector for the Second Quarter of 2011 when compared to the Second Quarter of 2010AD as per the article “Jamaican crop production up 24 per cent”, published Monday, May 02, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

 No, not for a lack of investment as the Chinese are gung-ho about it. This as evidenced by the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the People’s Republic of China for cooperation on Agriculture with US$3.288 million bars of silver thrown in for good measure as stated in the article “Jamaica, China sign grant agreements, MOU for agricultural support”, published Thursday, September 22, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

Neither is it for a lack of Bipartisan support, as PNP’s spokesperson on Agriculture, Senator Roger Clarke, has pledged his support to initiatives put on by the JLP Minister of Agriculture, Senator Robert Montague as mentioned in the article “Clarke pledges non-partisan support for agriculture”, published Monday, October 03, 2011 BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer. 

Rather, it is because Jamaican Farmers are increasingly choosing to grow Tobacco instead of crops for food as stated in the article “Jamaica: Not giving up on Tobacco”, published Sunday October 2, 2011, by Gary Spauldings, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This as Tobacco fetches upwards of JA$8,000 per pound, as evidenced by a Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) Study compiled in 2011AD that tracked the progress of the Tobacco Industry over a two (2) year period:

1.      It grows in almost any soil type with little needs for cultivation and maintenance, as the plant itself is a weed

2.      The dried leaves can be stored for long periods

3.      It is lightweight and easily compressible

4.      The demand for the product is high and can be readily be made into end products fetching a higher price without having to sell their crop to Carrerras Group of Companies

5.      The level of expertise required is very low, as most of the farmers have been growing the product for less than two (2) years

More interesting statistics:

1.      The Tobacco Industry is valued at JA$397 million.

2.      Gross earnings per acre is approximately JA$1.28 million.

3.      Average Gross Earning per Tobacco farmer is just under JA$693,000

Yes, you read that right folks.

Growing Tobacco is really more lucrative than growing Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) as stated in an earlier article entitled “Tobacco worries - Jamaica in treaty contravention”, published Sunday September 18, 2011 by Gary Spauldings, The Jamaica Gleaner. The curious fact that caught my eye, as Tobacco, known among the youth of the community of Milk River, Clarendon where I live, is called “Grabbba”.

It is often mixed with Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) and smoked, which may explain the name (Declaimer: I don’t smoke nor drink alcohol!!). That this simple weed is beating out Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) cultivation, which by the way is still illegal in Jamaica, speaks to the irony of the legality of growing and selling Tobacco, when BOTH are in fact narcotics with similar levels of addictiveness.

Its excessive cultivation puts Jamaica in contravention of the WHO (World Health Organization’s) FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control), a treaty to the UN (United Nations) to which the government of Jamaica has been signatory since 2005AD. Thus the Government of Jamaica needs to control the growth of Tobacco, making sure, like sugar cane used for the manufacture of Rum that it is under the control of Carrerras Group of Companies, makers of several brands of Cigarettes such as Rothmans and Craven A.

Carrerras Group of Companies can then follow through on the plan to make e-Cigarettes as suggested in my blog article entitled “Carerras and e-cigarettes - THC Thanks You for Smoking The Next Big Thing”, as it would appear with “Hot Grabba” killing Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) production, Tobacco production may be seeing a renaissance.

Thus controlling it is essential. Otherwise not only will Jamaica still be in breach of the WHO FCTC, but we may inadvertently starve to death as farmers stop seeing crops for food production as being lucrative and decided to cultivate tobacco, as the Tainos did before the conquistadors killed them off with hard farm labour. 

EU Debt Deal Reached on Wednesday October 27 2011 - Austerity measures for sustained Recovery

All service is the same with god,

With God, whose puppets, best and worst,

Are e: there is no last nor first.

R . Browning, Pippa Passes

The EU (European Union) has finally reached a debt deal that will see most of the major EU nations including Greece, being helped by a boost to the  EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) from EU$440 billion to EU$1 trillion as reported by Reuters in the article “Euro deal leaves much to do on rescue fund, Greek debt”, published Thursday October 27 2011 3:44PM EDT by Luke Baker and Julien Toyer, Reuters.

Which to my politically sanitized ears, initially sounded like an European Version of Jamaica’s FINSAC (Financial Sector Adjustment Company) and JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) rolled into one as stated in the article “Bare-bones EU debt deal news enough for buyers”, published Wednesday October 26, 2011 7:23pm EDT By Chuck Mikolajczak, Reuters.

Details, however, are beginning to flesh out today, Thursday October 27^th 2011AD. This fund, aptly named the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility), was eventually boosted to EU$1 trillion (US$1.4 trillion) and includes conditionality’s such as:

1.      EU Bloc countries recapitalizing their Banks

2.      Banks and large holder of Greek Government Bonds agreeing to take a 50% profit cut on their Bonds

However, the EFSF is financed by EU Bloc Bonds as opposed to individual countries, so this is essentially borrowing to pay off Debts that Banks among the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland Spain and Germany) and Greece were exposed. This New Deal, as I like to call it, reduced the Greek Debt by some EU$100 billion, a reduction of the ratio of Debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 120% from a previous high of 160%.

Sustainable Debt?

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou after the Brussels Meeting on Wednesday October 26, 2011 seems to think, quote:  “The debt is absolutely sustainable now. Greece can settle its accounts from the past now, once and for all.”

Naturally, the stock markets are happy, as the plan involves the banks doing something they should have been doing from a long time ago: making money the old fashioned way via Loans and borrowing instead of profits riding on Government Paper, such as those from the Greek Economy, which was set to default.

This Greek bailout, by the way, sounds an awful lot like our JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) , a personal opinion of mine as well as that of Economist Keith Collister as stated in the article “Greek debt crisis solution increasingly resembles Jamaica Debt Exchange”, published Sunday, July 24, 2011 BY KEITH COLLISTER, The Jamaica Observer .

UK Guardian commentator Mark Weisbrot Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research , in Washington, DC , even drew for the actions of the Jamaican Government and their approach in using the JDX connection and even suggested the very same thing with caveats as recorded in the article “Jamaica's crippling debt crisis must serve as a warning to Greece”, published Friday 22 July 2011 18.32 BST by Mark Weisbrot, The UK Guardian.

This time around, Minister of Finance Senator Audley Shaw deserves all the credit, as he had suggested this very same idea at an Interview at Bloomberg Headquarters in New York on Tuesday September 27^th 2011AD as noted in the article “Greece should pattern Jamaica Debt Exchange - Finance Minister”, published Wednesday September 28,2011 7:20pm, RJR News Online.

As usual, there is more to this simple scaling up of the Fund than meets the eye, as noted by equity strategist at Credit Swisse in Sydney, Damien Boey, quote: “While the headlines look good, the devil is in the details. We don't actually know how they are planning to increase the bail-out fund size from 440 billion euros to a trillion. On top of that, there are some questions as to whether one trillion euros in itself is enough.”

So where the funds are to come from are still unanswered concerns. Ditto too, if EU$1 trillion is enough, a figure that mirrors the bail-out figure of US$1 trillion borrowed from The People’s Republic of China to bail out the US Economy. 

So most likely, the EU Bloc may be running the People’s Republic of China to borrow more money. Like the US has done. No doubt the People’s Republic of China President Hu Jintao will be eager to lend, as the stability of the European Union, their second Largest customer, is of greatest importance.

The long term solution?

Simon Henry, Royal Dutch Shell Chief Financial Officer, put it bluntly, quote: “Europe's macroeconomic position can only recover and the sovereign debt crisis can only be addressed through underlying economic growth. We do not see the European Union creating the conditions for that, in fact quite the opposite.” Productivity in the Private Sector.

Hopefully the actions of the EU can be achieved and they will follow through with Austerity Measures as per my blog article entitled “EU, USA and the Second Recession - Economist Dennis Chung's Andromeda and The Long Night”. This before Peak Oil is scheduled to occur in 2015AD as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow”.

Amazon intros Grocery shopping via their Kindle Fire - Movado Duh Road from the Couch

“It’s broccoli dear”

“I say it’s spinach, and I say the hell with it”

E.B. White, In the New Yorker

Amazon is definitely on a roll. After launching their Amazon Kindle Fire on Wednesday September 28^th 2011AD in their quest to beat Apple at their own game as per my Geezam Blog article entitled “Amazon lights a Kindle Fire as a Gladiator worthy of the Apple iPad”, it looks like they are expanding the empire that feeds the Platform they are retailing for US$199.

After all, that that price, they are losing money on every tablet they sell, just to break into the Tablet market. Obviously, from a purely common sense point of view, at first glance, they are cribbing not only the Barnes and Noble Nook Color but also copying Apple’s model of selling a Tablet as a platform as suggested in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Kindle Fire vs Nook Color & Apple iPad 2 – Despite the Specs the Price is Still Right”.

This accomplishes what I would call Couch Potato Shopping i.e. shopping for Amazon Products available on their online store via the Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Amazon Kindle Fire. This includes everything from Books and other printer material in e-Reader and hardcover format as well as the regular stuff like Diapers, Soap and Beauty products (?) for the websites Diaper.com, Soap.com and BeautyBar.com.

These websites all fall under Quidsi, a US$550 million pieces of silver in September 2010AD they acquired and subsequently used to launch Wag.com, a resurrection of the Pets.com website of old, except powered by the efficiency of Robots as reported in my blog article entitled “Amazon's Wag.com Social Network for Pets - Quidsi in the Flight of the Navigator”.

Now Amazon is growing for the high growth market of Grocery shopping as reported in the article “Next up in Amazon’s world domination: Groceries”, published October 24, 2011, 10:33am PT By Colleen Taylor, GigaOM. 

This is the same market that Tesco, a British Supermarket Giant, is pursuing in South Korea by making shopping as convenient as scanning a QR Code as noted in my blog article entitled “QR Codes and Shopping in South Korea - My Science Project for A Virtual Supermarket”.

This model can be easily replicated in other countries that have a smattering of QR code- capable Blackberrys and busy workers too lazy to shop without having physical store presence. In effect, shopping via the Internet for groceries kept in cold storage and delivered to your door.

All thanks to busy-as-a-bee robots that make up the acquisitions under Quidsi. And as mentioned in my blog article entitled “QR Codes and Shopping in South Korea - My Science Project for A Virtual Supermarket”, this model can be replicated. First World, Developed and Developing World countries like Jamaica can replicate Tesco’s model in South Korea and combine it with smartphones to create a shopping experience competitive to that of any Brick-and-mortar supermarket.

Amazon may have sauntered across this concept as described in my blog article and decided this Grocery Shopping was too profitable resist and replicable. But instead of smartphones toting people scanning QR codes while idling in subway stations, the shoppers would do all that walking on their smartphones on their Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet.

After all, that is what the severe price discount is for: you buy the Tablet and Amazon brings you the Couch Potato Shopping. Effectively, you do not have to Duh Road Mavado Style, but shop from the comfort of your home.

These websites all fall under Quidsi, a US$550 million pieces of silver in September 2010AD they acquired and subsequently used to launch Wag.com, a resurrection of the Pets.com website of old, except powered by the efficiency of Robots as reported in my blog article entitled “Amazon's Wag.com Social Network for Pets - Quidsi in the Flight of the Navigator”.

Now Amazon is growing for the high growth market of Grocery shopping as reported in the article “Next up in Amazon’s world domination: Groceries”, published October 24, 2011, 10:33am PT By Colleen Taylor, GigaOM. 

For the plucky Local or FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) the only expenditure would be storage and shipping, both of which Alternative Energy solutions in the form of a fleet of All-Electric Vehicles, a Solar Panel and Wind Energy Rig and low cost labour (sorry, but the Labour Ministry would have a problem with robots in Jamaica!!) can alleviate.

So already, the Import Waiver on Alternative Energy Gear as argued in my blog article entitled “Lack of Waivers for Expensive Alternative Energy Gear - Mr. Paul Chong's Adoption Contradiction” and the Import Waiver of All –Electric Vehicles and Flex-Fuel Vehicles as argued in my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse” would have a direct benefit to Local and FDI investment in Jamaica.

Suddenly, the silly quaint Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet is not so quaint anymore, as grocery shopping is the last thing on my mind with an Apple iPad and is a future growth area that Apple is yet to directly tap.

Good idea, Amazon!

Lack of Waivers for Expensive Alternative Energy Gear - Mr. Paul Chong's Adoption Contradiction

Hark, hark! The lark at Heaven’s gate sings,

And Phoebus’s gins rise

Shakespeare, Cymbeline, II, 3

In my blog article entitled “Ministry of Energy Clive Mullings alters the JPS Co License for Energy Sector Liberalization - Jamaica and The Sun Salutes You”, Minister Clive Mullings of the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications announced what is effectively a partial liberalization of the Energy Sector.

Net Billing, Power Wheeling and an increase on the Alternative Energy cap to 15MW from 10MW are, really, only of benefit to three (3) sets of people in Jamaica:

1.      Individuals who own Wind Turbines and Solar Panels

2.      Residential Solar PUC (Power Utility Company)

3.      Alternative Energy IPP (Independent Power Producers) 

This as Government of Jamaica Import Waivers on Alternative Energy equipment such as Solar Panels and Wind Turbines have been removed after a two (2) year run as recorded by the scribes in the article “Green energy traders lose tax subsidy - Say consumers will be hit with higher prices”, published Friday June 10, 2011 by Sabrina Gordon, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So my simple argument is that the Government of Jamaica needs to re-impose the Import Waivers on Alternative energy Gear to fuel the rapid adoption of Alternative Energy in Jamaica as well as encouraging local Private Commercial Banks to create special loans for the purchase of such equiptment, extendable to homeowners and mortgagers. Making them excruciatingly expensive for the ordinary man to afford the option of going off the JPS Co Grid is not the way to reduce Jamaica’s Oil Bill in the long term.

Equiptment such as Solar Shingles, a clever low cost way to roof your house and generate electricity at the same time with one installation courtesy of Dow Chemicals as stated in the article “Dow ramps up production of solar shingles for the consumer”, published OCTOBER 20, 2011 BY MIKE FLACY, DigitalTrends.

An option Mr. Paul Chong, a retired business man from St Mary, has exercised via his JA$5 million investment in an Alternative Energy systems since Power Supply difficulties experienced during Hurricane Dean (2007) as noted in the article “Off the grid - St Mary man turns to wind energy”, published Wednesday, October 26, 2011 BY ALESIA EDWARDS Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

So one wonders what former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Senator Dr. Christopher Tufton really mean when he declare that the freeze on Import Waivers were good for Jamaica as noted in the article “Waiver suspension good for Jamaica,says Tufton”, published Tuesday, April 27, 2010 BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

After all, since the Import Waivers freeze on Sunday August 1^st 2010AD (my birthday by the way!!!) as stated in the article “Freeze on waivers”, published Tuesday, August 03, 2010 BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large, The Jamaica Observer, the study that was also commissioned to determined what exactly should receive a Import Waivers and how to combat abuse of the Import Waivers system is yet to be made public.

The rationale behind the Import Waiver freeze is understandable: more than 10% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is represented by these import waivers, which needs to be captured in light of the shortfall in Government of Jamaica Revenues.

Then Prime Minister Bruce Golding explained this at the 58^th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural Show in Clarendon Jamaica, quote: “If the issuing of waivers is not achieving the desired effects, then it is time to revisit it. The country is wrestling with a fiscal deficit of seven to eight per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for this year. It will take us four years to get it down to zero.”

Not missing a beat, he then went on to explain, quote: “The waivers and incentives that we are granting amount to 14 per cent of GDP. That cannot continue. That 14 per cent of GDP must come down. We cannot continue to give away waivers and incentives, when we want to fix farm roads. Whatever waivers and incentives that have already been approved will continue.”

Also, the Jamaican Economy has been growing after this decision had been made, taking away some of the stress of Ministerial work which often involved being pressured into signing Import Waivers for political friends, as implied by then Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Senator Dr. Christopher Tufton.

The Second Quarter of 2011AD, April to June 2011AD, saw the Jamaica Economy being projected to grow by 1.5% compared to the same corresponding period in 2010AD as noted by the PIOJ (Planning Institute of Jamaica) in the article “Jamaican economy grows 1.5 per cent”, published 2011-08-24 17:16:08  by Jerome Reynolds, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Since then, the PIOJ has gladly declared via the Horse’s mouth, the Jamaica Information Service, that it has now turned out to be a lot better than expected – 2.1% sustained growth in the April to June 2011AD, a fact as stated in the article “Jamaica's Economy Grows by 2.1% in Second Quarter”, published FRIDAY, 07 OCTOBER 2011 15:58, JIS.

So the Import Waivers, which represent 14% of GDP, are making a sizeable contribution to Jamaica’s Economic growth. To increase that growth, it can be easily argued that a re-imposition of the Import Waivers on Alternative Energy Gear can save the Jamaican Economy on Oil importation.

Thus far, large scale installation such as the Wigton Wind Farm owned by the PCJ (Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica) have been saving the Jamaica government some JA$229 million on fuel imports for the five (5) month of fiscal Year 2011-2012AD as stated in the article “In Five Months, Wigton Saves Jamaica $229 Million”, published Sunday September 25, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Imaginably, this savings would be greater if the entire Jamaica was a part of this push towards a mass adoption of Alternative Energy as intimated in my blog article entitled “JPS Co New Digital Meters are all Smart Meters - Winsome Callum's A Simple Twist of Fate” after the success of the Digital Meters islandwide Six thousand (6,000) Guinea Pig Run.

So when the Import Waiver Researchers make their findings public, much as the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in conjunction with the JSIF (Jamaica Social Investment Fund) will make their US$93,000 ($8.4 million) finding public (6) months from now, hopefully, the recommendations will be positive.

That is to say, Import Waivers will be put in place to allow the importation of Alternative Energy Gear along with other select items as per the recommendations of the study, enableing cheaper Alternative Energy equiptment to come to Jamaica so we can all eventually have the choice to disconnect from JPS Co and their overbilling like Mr. Paul Chong - without having to effectively pull out a second mortgage!