He's the former Jamaican Prime Minister and one of the Caribbean's most respected statesmen, and tonight PJ Patterson is in Belize. Patterson, who has retired from public life, was invited by Belize's Prime Minister to take part in the 25th Anniversary of Independence Celebrations. The four time Jamaican leader will also be conferred with the Order of Belize. He arrived via private jet this morning and met with the press shortly after. He told the gathering that in 1981, he was here and still treasures the memory.
PJ Patterson, Former Jamaica Prime Minister
"I was very privileged to be here on the twenty first of September 1981 as the Union Jack disappeared and the proud Belizean flag was unfurled. I was remarking to Minister Courtenay at the airport that I still have the Belizean flag, which was presented to me wrapped and stored in a very treasured place in my home. Belize in its twenty five years from my own observation, has achieved much. It has certainly established its own niche in the international community."
Tomorrow Patterson will speak on the CSME and trade related issues at a lunch hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. And later that night, he will deliver a lecture on the relevance of the independence of small states. As the former head of a Caribbean super-state, with its own major debt problems, we asked Patterson if he had any advice for Belize's leaders as they are perched one step from sovereign default.
PJ Patterson,
"...Make no mistake about it, there is no nation in the world whose history is confined to successes alone. The bottom line is this: you can't beg or borrow your way out of financial trouble. You've got to work and burn your way out and that means you've got to increase your export earnings and that means you have boost your level of output. I'll be saying more about this. The government of Belize has not asked me for any advice and I am not one to offer."
Jamaica's national debt is about US$15 billion, 130% of GDP. The currency exchange rate is 65 Jamaican dollars to one U.S. dollar.
