Janet Silvera and Mark Beckford, Sunday Gleaner Reporters

Bartlett and McNeill - file photos

The opposition People's National Party (PNP) has expressed concern over reports that Spanish investors view the investment climate in Jamaica as becoming hostile towards them.

Dr Wykeham McNeill, the opposition spokesman on tourism, warned yesterday that if "swift action is not taken, this could harm Jamaica's reputation in Europe and set back the work done over the years to establish the island as the Caribbean tourist destination with the most significant growth potential".

In a press statement yesterday, McNeill called on Prime Minister Bruce Golding to state clearly what action was being taken to counter this "damaging perception", which conflicts with the Government's claim of being investment friendly. McNeill remarked that the reported ambivalence of Spanish investors is "troubling, as it may affect the hopes of thousands of Jamaicans who look to the tourism industry as a source of employment".

could have implications

Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller also commented on the possibility of Spanish resort investors pulling out of Jamaica.

"If you are not careful how you handle these situations, the signal you send could have implications, not only in terms of Spanish investors, but other foreign investors who feel we are not handling them in a way to be comfortable," she stated. "And I am not saying foreign investors are to be given anything we would not give our local investors, if there is a breach."

The Gleaner last week reported news out of Spain that several Spanish investment groups were either scaling down or suspending plans to construct resorts in the island. This came in the wake of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's ordering of the closure of the Riu Group's hotel site in Montego Bay on grounds that the developer had breached the law by constructing a fourth floor for which it had not received a permit from the St James Parish Council

McNeill, while acknowledging that all investors both local and foreign must conform to the regulations, accused the Golding administration of "poor handling" of the situation and called for a speedy resolution of the matter.

Daryl Vaz, state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, told The Sunday Gleaner that a meeting with Spanish investors last week went well and that other meetings were scheduled for this week to examine the situation concerning the Riu group.

meeting went well

"It went very well and we had frank and open discussions where we reiterated that the Government of Jamaica is supportive of all investments, whether they are Spanish or otherwise," Vaz reported. "We also made it clear that whether the size of the investment is hundreds of millions or one million dollars, there are rules and regulations which are to be enforced and there is nobody who is above the law," the state minister added.

In making his contribution to the 2008 Sectoral Debate last Wednesday, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the greatest improvement that Jamaica has had in tourism has come from Spain, with a 142 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in 2007.

He disclosed that starting this June, there will be five charter flights per week from the Iberian Peninsula, estimated to bring in over 1,000 passengers weekly, cementing this vibrant market.

spaniards added great value

Lauding the Spaniards for their significant contribution to the lifeblood of the tourism industry, Bartlett said: "They have added great value to our tourism landscape, brought new technology, new insights and new enrichment to the Jamaican product." He added that the country had not only benefited from techniques brought by the Spanish investors, but also their marketing savvy.

Spanish Ambassador Jesús Silva told The Sunday Gleaner last week that Spanish investments in tourism have provided 12,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs, accounting for the largest job-creation process in Jamaica's recent history.

The Spanish investors have steadily expanded their presence in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, and are growing throughout the region, from Jamaica in the north to Aruba in the south. They will will own over 10,000 rooms on the island within three years, stakeholders predict.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com