Time to legalise prostitution - PNP councillor

Fenly Douglas, councillor for the Waterford division in St Catherine, is urging the Government to legalise prostitution and move commercial sex workers into the formal economy.

"We can benefit from the collection of tax from these workers as they are offering a service. We are letting the collection of needed funds go uncollected by discriminating against these persons. It must stop or we stand to lose," Douglas told The Sunday Gleaner.

According to the People's National Party representative, the current treatment of prostitutes is hypocritical and wrong.

"When they go to do business they are titled as self-employed, therefore, they exist so they must be given the right to contribute to nation building," said Douglas, as he pointed to other countries which have already legalised prostitution.

He argued that one of the benefits of legalising the sex trade would be better healthcare for prostitutes.