What of the Tourism Industry Refurbishing Programme, Minister?

No. 132 Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Opposition spokesman on Tourism Dr Wykeham McNeil is calling on the Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett to explain the sequence of events that led to the “bungling” that took place with the recent announcement, and then retraction of the Tourism Industry Refurbishing Programme.

   Dr. McNeil is questioning how it could be possible for Minister Bartlett to go ahead and hold a press conference and announce an initiative such as this without first signing off with the Ministry of Finance and our international financial partners.
    “Has Minister Bartlett forgotten that the Government is in an agreement with the IMF and that there are conditionality’s which have to be met”? He asked.
    He said that this episode had created a lot of embarrassment and pointed to a tendency of the Minister of Tourism to make announcements first without checking all the details.
    Dr. McNeil is concerned that this incentive, proposed by the industry may now be scuttled by the inept handling by the Government. The industry has been lobbying for this programme for some time, arguing that it would stimulate refurbishing in the sector, thereby creating jobs, refreshing the product and making us more competitive in the marketplace.