GARAGE WILL BE ALLOWED TO RESUME WHEN REQUIREMENTS MET
The Government says there is no confirmation of whether a Chinese garage, which was being operated at Plantation Cove in St. Ann, is linked to the Whole Hearted Company Services Limited, the auto shop at Ferry, St Catherine.
The Ferry garage was shuttered following massive publicity and questions over its operation, including whether staff there had work permits and if the facility had the requisite approvals.
(Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr speaking about the Chinese garage)
As the North Coast Times reported, the Plantation garage, near Richmond Estate, was closed the very weekend the one in Kingston was shut down. CHINESE GARAGE CLOSED IN ST ANN TOO
JIS reported Minister of Labour Pearnel Charles Jr. saying:
(Section of the gates at Plantation, showing services offered and with a temporary sign about procedures)
“People have automatically assumed that the garages are linked. And I don’t know that the information given to me confirms that,” Mr. Charles said.
The Spark Auto Repairs garage at Plantation operated for weeks by Chinese nationals, remains closed, with motorists turning up almost every day to check on its status and when it will be reopened.
(Motorists waiting at the closed gates at Spark at Plantation two weeks ago. There was no information about when it would reopen).
Mr Charles Jr said the Chinese garage service centre at Ferry would be allowed to resume its operations once it had met all the legal requirements. The Minister was speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston on Wednesday, May 14.
Speaking about the Ferry auto centre, Mr Charles Jr said: “So, as we have said, we are doing our investigations, not just to protect
Jamaica or Jamaican mechanics or Jamaican consumers, but also we have a very, very significant responsibility to any foreign worker that enters this country to ensure that they are not involved or engaged in any servitude or anything of any nature that is illegal.”
He stressed, however, that the Government is aware that there is a gap in the auto repair sector and is not opposed to foreign nationals filling this gap, once they are in compliance with the country’s laws.
“We have made it very clear, particularly where we see hundreds of Jamaicans flocking to the service, that we are not blind or deaf to the fact that clearly there is a gap, again, in terms of what is being provided to the country,” the Minister said.
-30-
