Senator Don Wehby, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Government must focus on upgrading the skills of the Jamaican workforce for the Caribbean island to reap the benefits of mega tourism investments, Senator Don Wehby has warned.

"For the Harmony Cove project in Trelawny, we are talking about an investment of $8 billion with something like 8,500 rooms and I am wondering, do we have enough labour to supply qualified and productive labour for these mega projects?" Wehby, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service, reasoned last Wednesday. He was addressing a Kiwanis Club of Providence meeting at The Wexford Hotel in Montego Bay.

He argued that if the country does not have enough workers to fill this gap, serious planning needs to be undertaken now, not when the project begins. This, Wehby said, could be accomplished through a partnership between the Government, developers and the training institutions such as the HEART Trust/NTA.

The Harmony Cove development is poised to become a premier luxury destination nestled in the parish of Trelawny. Tavistock Group, in partnership with the Jamaican Government, will develop several hotels, three world-class golf courses, a gaming lounge and other luxury amenities.

Meanwhile, in a cautious but optimistic tone, the senator listed a number of suggestions that he said were critical to the sustainability of the Jamaican economy.

He said the Government needs:

A sound, predictable macro-economic policy framework (which translates to a relatively stable rate of exchange and low inflation)

A disciplined and strong financial management policy

A simple tax system that is competitive

Effective measures to prevent corruption and fight crime, and drive energy security and efficiency.

Wehby noted that the high cost of energy in the country has made Jamaica less competitive compared to some of its Caribbean counterparts.

"LNG is the way to go. We are going to be issuing a policy directive to the Office of Utility Regulations to seek proposals from private investors to invest in LNG in Jamaica and that, to me, is high priority," the finance ministry deputy said.

sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com

The Harmony Cove original master design.