Dear Editor,
Thanks to the prime minister's intervention, RIU is not going to be allowed to get away with building an illegal fourth floor atop their Mahoe Bay hotel.

For once, we are not going to see another case of "regularisation" - the uniquely Jamaican process of rewarding illegal behaviour with the spoils of the crime. It is clear from RIU's statement that they fully expected to "have their. buildings approved" after the fact, and under the most dubious circumstances as uncovered by the Observer.

We have to ask ourselves what is the point of having environmental laws - or any laws, for that matter - if the government has no intention of enforcing them?

Why should any developer bother to get or comply with an environmental permit or a building permit if RIU, which has flouted the laws and the regulations of this country, were allowed to keep the illegally constructed fourth floor, regardless of whether or not it will ultimately exceed the height restrictions?

How the prime minister has handled this case will send a clear message to developers, especially the Spanish hotel chains. The message is: "Respect our environmental laws, or pay the penalty."

I'm sure that all the law-abiding developers are watching this case very closely.

Margaret Mellor
St Ann

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