MONTEGO BAY, St James – Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) president Mark Kerr-Jarrett is calling on the government to establish local offices for three government ministries in order to allow them first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing the resort city.

The ministries include the Local Government, National Security and Tourism, which Kerr-Jarrett said could operate out of the Office of the Prime Minister in Montego Bay that currently sits empty for most of the year.

He was speaking at the chamber’s annual Christmas luncheon, aboard the Carnival Conquest cruise ship in the city on Wednesday.

He also expressed displeasure with the Security Ministry’s failure to respond to a letter from the chamber, requesting a meeting to discuss security issues affecting Montego Bay.

At the same time he lamented the continued concentration of national resources in Kingston at, what he considered, the expense of the continued under development of Montego Bay.

“For too long monies have been spent in Kingston where they would have been a lot better spent here in Montego Bay,” noted a disgruntled kerr-Jarrett. “You cannot tell us and ask us to continue increasing production and efficiency if we do not have the tangible amount of reinvestment by the government in the facility and in the environment to enhance the whole product appreciation and the experience that the visitors have.”

He noted, meanwhile, that the move by the Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Philip Paulwell, to establish a local office at the Trade Board in Montego Bay had reaped successes. The office, he said, had enabled Paulwell to “effectively communicate and expound on the challenges and the investment needed to build the Information Technology industry”.

“And that,” Kerr-Jarrett added “is because he has first hand experience.”

-hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com