Crime a Major Cost to the Economy – Montague

Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague, says the Government is determined to curtail the scourge of crime, which he noted, is a significant cost to the economy.

Addressing a town hall meeting in St. Ann’s Bay on August 31, Minister Montague said the cost of crime is approximately five per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“If we were able to cut crime in half the economy would grow by two and a half per cent without the investment of a single additional dollar,” he contended.

Mr. Montague pointed out that it costs the health services some $400,000 per day to keep one gunshot victim in intensive care.

“Now, we have just over 1,000 gunshot victims so far this year and if you multiply that by $400,000 then it should give you an idea as to how much money we are spending because of crime,” he noted.

He argued that if crime was significantly reduced the Government would be able to spend more money on infrastructure development as well as to pump more resources into health and education.

“The schools would be better equipped. We would have more water in more communities as well as better garbage disposal. I say all of this to emphasise the importance of putting our collective energies together in dealing with the scourge of crime,” he said.

Minister Montague said the Government will be leaving no stone unturned in dealing with the problem, noting that the citizens of the country have a right to live in peaceful communities.

“We are not going to allow the criminals to dictate how we live or how we go about our daily lives. Their actions have come at a great economic cost to our communities and to our country,” he said.

Minister Montague said the “onus is on everybody to try and do better and to rise up and say enough is enough. We have a lot at stake and we simply have to operate on a united front and be ready to take back our communities.”