Adrian Frater, News Editor

REID

WESTERN BUREAU:

IN LIGHT of the many problems facing Montego Bay, especially in the area of infrastructure, businesswoman Pauline Reid, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes it is hypocritical to refer to the city as the tourist capital.

Ms. Reid expressed the sentiment last Thursday when chamber stakeholders met with new Transport and Works Minister, Mike Henry, to discuss the possibility of having Government fast-track a number of the outstanding projects earmarked for the western city.

In highlighting perennial problems, such as the congestion on the Bogue Road, the flooding at the entrance to the El Greco Hotel, the need for a bypass road and the absence of a comprehensive traffic-management system, Ms. Reid referred to Montego Bay as a neglected city.

Lament

"It is hypocritical to refer to Montego Bay as the tourist capital when you see the neglect of the city, and the way we have allowed things to fester on us over the years without proper planning or remedial action," lamented the chamber president.

Minister Henry, who got a first-hand view of both the Bogue Road and El Greco locations, said he was sympathetic to the stakeholders 'concerns, but noted there was no money in the budget to accommodate work on either project at this time.

However, in pressing for an immediate response to their concerns, Ms. Reid renewed the chamber's long-standing call for Government to allocate the required funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which currently stands at over$2 billion.

"The majority of the funds in the TEF is actually generated here in Montego Bay," stated the chamber president. "It is a one-off situation that we are asking for, since we have a crisis here. I see no reason why we should not get an allocation from the TEF to correct this crippling situation."

In further emphasising the debilitating impact of the road situation, Ms. Reid said that in addition to the difficulty of navigating the shoddy roadways, the extra fuel cost being incurred and wear on tear on vehicles, the situation was also negatively affecting tourism.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com