MONTEGO BAY, St James — CHAIRMAN of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Godfrey Dyer has rubbished statements by Opposition Tourism spokesman Dr Wykeham McNeill’s that the TEF is broke.

“The TEF is not broke. The TEF has sitting in it now in the region of about J$2 billion. It is true we have some restrictions how we spend it but we are by no means broke,” Dyer told the Observer West yesterday.

McNeill had doubted the Government’s ability to foot the additional US$10 million to fund the massive public relations and advertising campaign required to salvage the destination’s image in the wake of last week’s deadly gun battles between the police force and gunmen from West Kingston over attempts to arrest Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the strongman of Tivoli Gardens.

Some 70 civilians and three members of the security forces were killed as the violence heightened and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett estimated that losses incurred by the tourism sector could run up to US$350million, necessitating an additional US$10 million for a massive promotional and advertising campaign.

But in expressing doubt, McNeill, urged the private sector to join forces with the Government.

“Where you are going to get the money? The TEF is almost broke. They have raided that to the bare minimum. I don’t know what is left there to get and we all know the situation with the Consolidated Fund. It is going to be critical that a marketing and advertising campaign has to be a joint one between private sector and Government,” McNeill argued.

Noting that so far the TEF has not been approached for any money to fund the public relations campaign, Dyer outlined that any request will be studied as soon as it is made.

“No request has come to the TEF up to now. When the request comes it is something we will examine,” he said.

McNeil also advised that it would serve the tourism interest not to commence the advertising campaign now when the incident is fresh in the minds of the international public. “You don’t advertise now because when they see Jamaica it is fresh in their minds, it reminds them. What you have to do is PR first. You work with your journalists, but you are going to have a marketing and advertising campaign later this year to drive the business,” McNeill recommended.