[TRANSCRIPT — Talk Radio Roulette, Thursday morning drive segment]
HOST: Welcome back to di programme, you ah listen to di morning segment, di lines dem open, we ah talk about di proposed levy on imported snack foods. Lines lit up. Caller from Mandeville, you on di air, go ahead.
CALLER 1: Yeah good morning host. Mi nah even calling about di levy.
HOST: …okay.
CALLER 1: Mi calling about di pothole at di corner of mi road. Three weeks now. Three weeks. NWA come, mark it wid spray paint, leave. Marl truck come, drop marl, leave. No tar. Just marl. Who ah supposed to put di tar?
HOST: Sir, di topic dis morning ah di snack food levy.
CALLER 1: Yes mi know but di levy ah affect we all. Including mi pothole.
HOST: Sir, di levy ah for snacks, not for —
CALLER 1: Tank you for taking mi call.
[CALLER 1 disconnects.]
HOST: Right. Okay. Next caller. Yuh on di air.
CALLER 2: Morning host, morning Jamaica. Mi calling about di levy.
HOST: Tank you. Finally. Go ahead.
CALLER 2: Mi tink it ah wonderful idea. Snacks ah unhealthy. Children ah eat too many chips. Mi grandson ah seven and him have a tummy.
HOST: Okay yuh support di levy, dat fair —
CALLER 2: But mi nuh tink it should apply to plantain chips.
HOST: Why not?
CALLER 2: Because plantain chips ah Jamaican.
HOST: Plantain chips ah snack though.
CALLER 2: Plantain chips ah heritage.
HOST: Right. Heritage. Tank you for di call. Next.
CALLER 3: Yes good morning. Mi want to ask why nobody ah talk about di crime situation.
HOST: Sir, dis ah di morning programme on di levy —
CALLER 3: Yes but di crime situation ah link to di levy because if people cyaan afford snack, dem turn to crime.
HOST: Sir, snack food ah not a leading driver of —
CALLER 3: Mi nephew ah turn to crime.
HOST: …sir mi very sorry to hear dat —
CALLER 3: Him only sell pirate DVD though. Not real crime.
HOST: Right. Tank you. Next caller.
CALLER 4: Morning host. Mi support di levy fully. One hundred percent.
HOST: Tank you, finally somebody ah stay pon topic —
CALLER 4: Provided di revenue ah go to fix di road.
HOST: …
CALLER 4: And di pothole.
HOST: …
CALLER 4: And mi nephew rehabilitation.
HOST: [audible sigh] We coming back after di break.
[Commercial music begins.]
— End transcript. Cabinet has not commented on whether plantain chip exemptions are under consideration. Both nephews remain at large.