A tale of two cities

THE EDITOR: Charles Dickens, in the famous novel A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859, opened with the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In TT, this line has been very relevant and applicable when it comes to the issue of access to foreign exchange.

It is the best of times when there is no issue accessing foreign exchange. It is the worst of times when business owners have to scurry around to scrape up scarce foreign exchange to ensure the survival of their businesses.

It is the best of times when there is no restriction for foreign exchange to travel, buy luxurious vehicles and access foreign goods. It is the worst of times when parents cannot access foreign exchange to pay tuition fees for their children studying abroad and pay for surgeries to save their sick children.

It is the best of times for those who can buy unlimited goods online. It is the worst of times for those who have to pay inflated prices for goods locally because of the black-market rates for foreign exchange.

How can it be that certain segments of the economy seem immune to the foreign exchange shortage, continuing unscathed with their luxurious lifestyles? A true foreign exchange shortage would affect the population across the board, so how can it be that certain segments could continue with life unaffected, while others have been suffering for years.

Almost US$1 million of scarce foreign exchange resources to pay for an artiste who never showed, but the ordinary citizen has to line up for days in the bank to maybe get a mere US$200. As Dickens said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” while the “kartel continues to vybz.”

RICARDO JIMENEZ

Diego Martin