‘DUDUS’ unrest hits businesses

[Lazie]

As an eerie calm descends on the nation's capital after three days of clashes between criminal gunmen and the security forces, businesses are left to count the cost of the unrest that delivered a crunching body blow to commerce, but which many felt was necessary to break gangsters' stranglehold on the country.
Seventy-three lives were lost as gunmen loyal to Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, the alleged crime lord wanted by the United States to face gun-and drug-trafficking charges, engaged agents of the State for three days in West Kingston, a section of Jamaica's capital which lies more than 100 miles east of the tourist resort city of Montego Bay.

More at http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/busin...nesses_7654669

[Lazie]

Manufacturing pains from civil unrest

THE manufacturing sector may take over six months to recover from the three days of unrest arising from security operations in Downtown Kingston last week, says Jamaica Manufacturers' Association president Omar Azan.
The manufacturing sector has declined for five consecutive quarters as a result of compressed demand in the global economic downturn. Azan said rising unemployment, inflation and its effects on manufacturing inputs such as electricity, water, gas and telephone use have all contributed to the decline. He said there was an expectation that a rebound might occur in the next six months, but this optimism has been derailed due to violence prompted by the security forces' attempt to execute an arrest warrant on Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

More at http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/busin...unrest_7654453

[Lazie]

Tourism could lose US$350m — Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett estimates that the loss incurred by the tourism sector, resulting from last week's civil unrest in which the security forces and gunmen from Western Kingston, loyal to Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, were locked in fierce firefights for two days, to be up to US$350 million.
"That (fallout) could be in the region of US$300 million to US$350 million. That's the fallout we could have if we don't go out there and do this restoration job that has to be done," Bartlett told the Observer yesterday.

Noting that the six per cent projected growth in arrivals is now being threatened, the tourism minister announced the launch of a massive "promotional and advertising campaign" to begin during the first week of June, estimated to cost Government an additional US$10 million, to counter the negative image portrayed globally and woo visitors to the destination once again.

More at http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...rtlett_7662889

[Lazie]

Ocho Rios feels Kingston heat

OCHO RIOS, St Ann — President of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce Horace Wildes, has said that the four-day civil unrest in sections of the Corporate Area and St Catherine last week was felt 50 miles away here in this North Coast town and other parts of the parish, resulting in a slowdown of business.
Wildes said that some businesses are yet to pick up and that many remain in what he called a "watch-and -see-mode" as there was still uncertainty surrounding the full operation of the business community in Kingston, where many enterprises and head offices are located.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...n-heat_7662828

[Hortical]

Well we reap the harvest of our misdeeds.

[Muadib]

Will Reap ?

Suh is wha wi been reaping di last 20 years ?