Dear Editor,
I applaud Prime Minister Bruce Golding for his bold stance in addressing the issue concerning the reported breaches by the Riu Hotel under construction near Montego Bay.

The prime minister has said he will not stand by and allow the developer to blatantly disregard the approval plan granted by the relevant government agencies. Additionally, the government will not condone the developer's disrespect shown to the authorities and the people of Jamaica, by allowing the developer to regularise its breach. Bravo, Mr Prime Minister.

I am sure the government and Jamaicans like myself welcome anyone from anywhere coming to the island to invest. However, anyone who comes to our land must be made to comply with our laws, irrespective of the level of investment, or face the full force of our laws for doing otherwise.

I could almost guarantee that no Jamaican could have ever gone to Spain and disregarded the approval granted by the Spaniards with respect to a development project in Spain, as the RIU Hotel has done in Jamaica.

So why should Spaniards or anyone else be allowed to come to Jamaica and do as they please?

We must look further into this matter, and criminal and civil penalties, as necessary, must be imposed upon the parties responsible for this blatant breach. The government must demonstrate forcefully its commitment to sustainable development practices, as we seek to protect our environment.

As a Jamaican, I feel disrespected by RIU because of what has happened. I feel as if the developer is concerned more about exploiting our land and the opportunities it presents, and could not give a hoot for aircraft safety and environmental protection in my country. Consequently, I have decided not to stay at any Riu hotel in Jamaica or elsewhere, no matter what they have to offer in terms of hospitality.

Kevin KO Sangster
New Jersey, USA
sangstek@msn.com

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