Where’s the hype?
Montego Bay, St James
Money designated for the beautification of Montego Bay, which will host thousands of visitors to Cricket World Cup 2007, is still tied up in red tape with just days to go before the start of the world’s third largest sporting event.
“The TPDCo (Tourism Product Development Company) is telling me that the money is tied up in red tape,” said a frustrated Pauline Reid, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Reid said the Chamber negotiated for and was granted $21 million for beautification of the tourist mecca and renovation of the popular old hospital site into a park with proper amenities. She said the money was allocated to TPDCo, and that so far only some bushing has taken place.
“It’s two weeks to go and nothing is happening yet,” Reid complained. “We are early for the next World Cup (not this one)…. this thing is going to backfire on us. It was supposed to put Jamaica in a positive light, but it will showcase Jamaica in a negative light,” she said.
Reid, who has been lamenting the slow pace of CWC 2007 preparations for months, said the management of the event was an absolute disgrace.
“We knew four years ago we were having the World Cup, and now we are trying to do everything in the last month – February,” she said.
Up to yesterday there was no physical evidence of the international tournament on the section of the unfinished North Coast highway between Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony.
Executive director of Jamaica’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) for CWC 2007, Robert Bryan, said his organisation was unable to put up banners highlighting the event. “They (the banners) are here in the island but we are having a problem getting a waiver on the fees so we haven’t received them as yet. TPDCo and JAMPRO are also responsible for the readiness of the World Cup in terms of promotions. I am doing what I am supposed to do, that is advertising, getting the tickets sold. People are buying the tickets and there is nowhere else to advertise the event,” he explained.