Don’t postpone Montego Bay bypass!
Dear Editor,I read with interest in your Jamaica Observer Caribbean Business Report magazine on Friday, November 27, 2020 that the start of the Montego Bay bypass has been postponed until 2022. I would like to humbly suggest that this be reconsidered and that it be started as soon as possible for the following reasons:
1) The bypass needs to be completed and operationalised to facilitate the rapid restart of the local and national economy, estimated 2023-2024, and attract further local and international investment.
2) The bypass construction process will create much-needed jobs and economic activity in Montego Bay and its environs while we are still in the COVID-19 slump.
3) The bypass route will open new lands for residential development which is desperately needed to support the growth of both the business process outsourcing (BPO) and tourist industries.
I hope the relevant authorities will consider these points and give Montego Bay the respect and priority that we have earned, especially during the last year in which the BPO industry has been virtually the sole earner of foreign exchange. To do otherwise would be short-sighted and, in my opinion, irresponsible.
Mark N Kerr-Jarrett
Managing director
Barnett Limited
kerrj@cwjamaica.com
