Primero Justicia's Borges says government import policy jeopardizes 200,000 jobs

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, May 12, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Primero Justicia (PJ) has presented an economic balance of Venezuela, complaining that the government's import policy to alleviate food shortages in certain sectors has left around 200,000 persons out of work.

PJ leader, Julio Borges says the policy's main defect is that it is affecting jobs and points to the case of rice imports from Thailand.

"The government aims to import finished rice through Cuban Alimpor placing 21,300 jobs in jeopardy." The same, he claims, is true in the case of wheat imported from Italy ... "Italy doesn't grow wheat, it imports from Canada and the USA."

Borges estimates losses at $800 million and suggests that if the government used the money to subsidize the basic food basket for 300,000 families for 6 months, it could easily do so ... "if it used the money for an emergency job plan, employing 800,000 persons for 6 months, it would be better than spending the money on Cuban companies."