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For 30 pieces of (Spanish) silver
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Just under a year ago, the Spanish ambassador to Jamaica, Mr Jesus Silva, in an address to the Rotary Club of Spanish Town, jokingly referred to the wave of Spanish investment in Jamaica - some US$1.5 billion in projects - as the "second Spanish invasion".
Ambassador Silva was highlighting the fact that there were six Spanish hotel groups investing in different stages in Jamaica, adding approximately 10,000 hotel rooms to the island's accommodation sub-sector as well as creating about 40,000 jobs.
It is the kind of investment for which this country yearns and which we have repeatedly advocated in this space. For we, like most of Jamaica, believe that the creation of employment opportunities will eventually assist in reducing crime that has had a stranglehold on this country for too long.
However, we do not believe that investment should come at any price or at the expense of Jamaicans' health and general well-being, nor should investors be given a 'bly' when they ignore our laws.
The actions of at least one of the Spanish hotel investors seem to suggest that they believe Jamaica is still a pliant colony of Spain and is theirs to do with as, and when, they please.
Last year June, the St James Parish Council threatened to take the developers of the ClubHotel Riu at Mahoe Bay, near Montego Bay, to court if they continued to build on the property without the requisite approval.
The parish council made the threat after they learnt that work on the site was continuing in defiance of a stop order served on the developers by the local government body. When they eventually got their approval, they proceeded to breach the terms of the building permit.
This newspaper, as is its proud public duty, has been highlighting the several building and environmental breaches by the RIU Hotel and Resorts, both at Mahoe Bay, where they are building in the direct flight path to the Sangster International Airport, and at Mammee Bay, Ocho Rios.
As is their wont, uncharitable persons, including one misled editorial writer at the Sunday Herald, have suggested that the Observer is exposing the sins of RIU because it is a competitor to our group company, Sandals.
Those who believe that are not only being foolish and simple-minded, but have to be blind to not be able to see that what RIU has been doing is not in the best interest of the country.
The case of the Mammee Bay residents as exposed in this Sunday's and Monday's editions of the Observer is particularly despicable. No one with any modicum of intelligence can doubt RIU's absolute disdain for the laws of Jamaica and the rights of their neighbours who have had to bear five years of arrogance, discomfort and feistiness.
There are those who would wish us to sacrifice the well-being of our people and our beautiful island to anyone who turns up with 30 pieces of silver, or should we say, Spanish doubloons.
As much as we welcome investors, local and foreign, Jamaicans will not surrender our environmental and building security, as well as our national dignity for a mess of Spanish potage.
Furthermore, we unreservedly subscribe to the view that it is local investors who should get the edge in respect of investment incentives, in the same way we would more readily offer business discounts to family members than to strangers.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Just under a year ago, the Spanish ambassador to Jamaica, Mr Jesus Silva, in an address to the Rotary Club of Spanish Town, jokingly referred to the wave of Spanish investment in Jamaica - some US$1.5 billion in projects - as the "second Spanish invasion".
Ambassador Silva was highlighting the fact that there were six Spanish hotel groups investing in different stages in Jamaica, adding approximately 10,000 hotel rooms to the island's accommodation sub-sector as well as creating about 40,000 jobs.
It is the kind of investment for which this country yearns and which we have repeatedly advocated in this space. For we, like most of Jamaica, believe that the creation of employment opportunities will eventually assist in reducing crime that has had a stranglehold on this country for too long.
However, we do not believe that investment should come at any price or at the expense of Jamaicans' health and general well-being, nor should investors be given a 'bly' when they ignore our laws.
The actions of at least one of the Spanish hotel investors seem to suggest that they believe Jamaica is still a pliant colony of Spain and is theirs to do with as, and when, they please.
Last year June, the St James Parish Council threatened to take the developers of the ClubHotel Riu at Mahoe Bay, near Montego Bay, to court if they continued to build on the property without the requisite approval.
The parish council made the threat after they learnt that work on the site was continuing in defiance of a stop order served on the developers by the local government body. When they eventually got their approval, they proceeded to breach the terms of the building permit.
This newspaper, as is its proud public duty, has been highlighting the several building and environmental breaches by the RIU Hotel and Resorts, both at Mahoe Bay, where they are building in the direct flight path to the Sangster International Airport, and at Mammee Bay, Ocho Rios.
As is their wont, uncharitable persons, including one misled editorial writer at the Sunday Herald, have suggested that the Observer is exposing the sins of RIU because it is a competitor to our group company, Sandals.
Those who believe that are not only being foolish and simple-minded, but have to be blind to not be able to see that what RIU has been doing is not in the best interest of the country.
The case of the Mammee Bay residents as exposed in this Sunday's and Monday's editions of the Observer is particularly despicable. No one with any modicum of intelligence can doubt RIU's absolute disdain for the laws of Jamaica and the rights of their neighbours who have had to bear five years of arrogance, discomfort and feistiness.
There are those who would wish us to sacrifice the well-being of our people and our beautiful island to anyone who turns up with 30 pieces of silver, or should we say, Spanish doubloons.
As much as we welcome investors, local and foreign, Jamaicans will not surrender our environmental and building security, as well as our national dignity for a mess of Spanish potage.
Furthermore, we unreservedly subscribe to the view that it is local investors who should get the edge in respect of investment incentives, in the same way we would more readily offer business discounts to family members than to strangers.
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