Government Allocates Funding for Urgent Repairs in Weather-Affected Resort Towns
“We have found within the budget, even though we are drawing to the end of the budgeting period, a small amount of funds to assist with the cleanup of the beaches in Negril.”
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– Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says has the government has allocated funds to address the aftermath of a severe weather event that occurred two weeks ago in resort towns in the north-western region of the island.
In a statement on Tuesday (February 15, 2024) during the Parliamentarians luncheon at Jamaica House, Prime Minister Holness stated:
“We have the fiscal buffers. I can stand here and say we have found within the budget, even though we are drawing to the end of the budgeting period, a small amount of funds to assist with the cleanup of the beaches in Negril. We have found funds to reopen roads and we are now doing preliminary assessments as to what it would cost to repair the damage to our sea walls, the wave breaker and the groins in Ocho Rios.”
Expressing the urgency of the situation, Prime Minister Holness addressed the bureaucratic challenges in responding swiftly to emergencies within existing procurement rules, saying, “What we have not yet figured out is how to deal with these emergency matters within our procurement rules and other rules that exist because these rules are there for good reason but we have to learn how to navigate them and deploy them very quickly if we are to indeed ensure that our tourism product recovers and recovers swiftly.”
In this regard, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of time in building resilience.
“If you take long to recover, you probably will not recover.”
The recent weather event, characterized by waves exceeding 15 feet, resulted in extensive damage to beaches, sea walls, infrastructure, entertainment spots, and roadways in the north-western end of the island, a critical area for Jamaica’s tourism.
Prime Minister Holness acknowledged the significance of World Tourism Resilience Day.
The Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, was special guest at the luncheon and presided of celebrations of World Tourism Day on February 15 in Montego Bay.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of resilience in the tourism sector, particularly amidst unexpected shocks.
He commended Minister of Tourism Ed Bartlett for championing the initiative that led to the declaration of World Tourism Resilience Day by the UN.
The government remains committed to the swift recovery of affected areas, ensuring the continued vibrancy of Jamaica’s tourism industry.