$430m boost for tourism campaign

Financial Secretary Wesley Hughes on Wednesday told the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) would again be raided to deal with the marketing of Jamaica's tourism product as a result of the military-led operations in west Kingston in May.

The amount being taken from the TEF is $430 million, which is separate from a further $581 million that taxpayers would be made to fund as a result of the operation.

"There was a lot of security force activities and so we had to pay for food, overtime, petrol ... the operation was very expensive," Hughes said.

The operations in west Kingston became necessary after the Government, led by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, sent the security forces to capture Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who was locked away in the volatile Tivoli Gardens enclave.

Militarily-led operation

Coke was indicted in the US for drug trafficking and gunrunning, but the Government delayed for nine months before signing the authority to proceed with an extradition against him. The militarily-led operation led to the death of more than 70 persons and damage to several public and private properties, including police stations and a section of the Coronation Market.

Government member Franklyn Witter questioned why the cost associated with the Tivoli operation was so high and, even before Hughes could answer, Central Kingston MP Ronald Thwaites muttered that "it did not have to happen".

Among the cost covered in the supplementary budget to meet the West Kingston operation is the grant of $45 million to the National Solid Waste Management Authority for "cleaning of drains, removal of debris and de-bushing of (the May Pen) cemetery". Another $39.4 million has been allocated in the budget to pay for a commission of enquiry into the handling of the extradition request by the Government, and the subsequent hiring of US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to deal with the matter.

At the same time, $62 million has been sliced from the Ministry of Tourism budget, which would have gone towards the marketing of Jamaica's tourism product. This has been supplemented by the $430 million taken from the TEF to repair Jamaica's image as a result of the incursion.