ST JAMES, Jamaica — National Security Minister, Robert Montague has declared that as of yesterday, the state of public emergency now underway in James has been renamed ‘enhanced security measures’.

Montague, in explaining his suggestion, argued that Montego Bay is the tourism capital and a state of public emergency has a negative connotations overseas.

“We want to make it very clear that after this afternoon, we will no longer refer in St James to the state of (public) emergency. We are in the tourism capital. Tourism is the life blood. A state of emergency has a negative connotations overseas and therefore, we would like to refer from hence forth to the enhanced security measures,” stated Montague.

The minister made the disclosure yesterday during his address of a stakeholders meeting in St James following a tour of the parish.

Among communities toured are Flankers, Norwood and Salt Spring. He also visited the Freeport lock up.

The minister said the aim is to protect the tourism industry.

“The government has declared a State of Emergency. It is not a limited State of Emergency. Let, us make it very clear, it is a state of ememergency in St James. But after today, we will make the reference as enhanced security measures. We must dance a yard before we dance abroad. We have to get the language right, so that when we speak of it from hence forth, we speak in to the market place, so we can protect the tourism industry that in tern produce the dollar,” argued Montague.

The state of public emergency was implemented in the parish on January 18 and was last week extended for another 30 days.

Anthony Lewis