MONTEGO BAY, St James – President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) Nathan Robb has expressed dissatisfaction over the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) failure to provide a specific timeframe for equipping the Montego Bay branch with a ballistic tank.

A ballistic tank is used for the testing of firearms to determine its unique markings.

Last week, Dr Kennroy Wedderburn, CEO of the FLA who was the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the MBCCI held at the Wexford Hotel in the resort city, disclosed that a ballistic tank for the FLA branch in Montego Bay should be included in its September budget.

But a disgruntled Robb, described Dr Wedderburn’s announcement as unacceptable.

“I am saying here we are now in March 2014 and we are only now told that it’s on a budget for September 2014, I am saying Mr Wedderburn it is not acceptable. We want to know what will be the ultimate deadline,” declared Robb.

A branch of the FLA opened in this resort city in 2012, much to the pleasure of members of MBCCI who have over the years consistently lobbied for such a facility in western Jamaica.

The branch is located at the ATL Shopping Complex in the Bogue area of Montego Bay.

Robb, who was at the time chairman of the MBCCI’s Justice and Security Committee said the new branch of the FLA is conveniently located to serve western Jamaica.

“This has alleviated the source of hardship for many, including many female and elderly citizens from as far as Negril and other places,” Robb noted then.

Davon Crump who was at the time president of the MBCCI and spearheaded the lobby for a branch of the FLA in western Jamaica, had indicated that a regional FLA office in Montego Bay would “prevent the inefficiency, security risk, gross inconvenience, and totally unnecessary costs and expense suffered by too many people including women, who must journey all the way to Kingston, simply to renew or apply for a firearm licence.”

But, with the absence of a ballistic tank at the Montego Bay’s FLA branch, firearm holders, including women and seniors have to travel to the FLA’s Worthington Terrace office in Kingston for ballistics tests whenever they renew their license.

Dr Wedderburn last week, however, gave his word that no efforts will be spared to have the ballistic tank in place “as early as possible.”

He noted that the one that has been identified will cost in the region of half a million dollars.

Robb told the FLA CEO that stakeholders in western Jamaica are prepared to purchase the tank and the FLA reimburse them at a later date.