SECTORAL
DEBATE |
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Opening
Sectoral Debate Presentation by the Minister of Development, The Hon.
Paul Robertson |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Commerce, Science & Technology,
The Hon. Phillip Paulwell |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Agriculture, The Hon. Roger
Clarke |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of National Security, The Hon.
Peter Phillips |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign
Trade, The Hon. K. D. Knight |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Education, Youth and Culture,
The Hon. Maxine Henry-Wilson |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Health, The Hon. John Junor |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Transport & Works, The
Hon. Robert Pickersgill |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Water & Housing, The Hon.
Donald Buchanan |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Land & Environment, The
Hon. Dean Peart |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Local Government, Community
Development and Sport, The Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of Labour and Social Security,
The Hon. Horace Dalley |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport
& Works, Hon. Fenton Ferguson |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Water
& Housing, Hon. Harry Douglas |
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Sectoral
Debate Presentation by the Minister of State in the Ministry of National
Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier |
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Throne
Speech |
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Estimates
of Expenditure |
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Opening
Budget Debate |
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Leader
of the Opposition's Budget Presentation |
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Prime
Minister's Budget Presentation |
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Closing
Budget Debate |
NEWS
ITEMS |
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Bartlett
Calls for Small Hotel Revolving Fund |
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Production
of Ethanol to be Increased |
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Gov’t
to Establish Revolving Energy Trust Fund |
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Modest
Gains Reported Under Social Intervention Programme |
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Companies
Act to be Implemented January 1, 2005 |
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Petrojam
to be Upgraded |
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Post
& Telecoms Dept Improves Delivery Standards |
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| KINGSTON,
May 13 (JIS): |
Opposition
Spokesman on Tourism, Edmund Bartlett has suggested that the “crippling”
of the small and medium-sized hotels by the all-inclusives could be
addressed by establishing a small hotel revolving fund from the fee
to be added to departure tax.
Making his presentation in the 2004/05 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House
on Tuesday (May 11), Mr. Bartlett said the Fund should be managed
by an independent financial entity with input from the sector to create
a comprehensive development plan with criteria for participation supported
by a monitoring regime.
He argued that the country’s tourism industry was built around
small and medium-sized properties of 50-150 rooms but over the years,
the advent of all inclusive resorts and more recently the mega properties
of 650-1,000 rooms had marginalized these smaller properties.
Mr. Bartlett expressed concern over the future of small properties
in light of the recent announcement of 6,000 new rooms over the next
five years. He pointed out that the industry needed occupancy of 62
per cent among small hotels and 75 per cent among the all-inclusive
properties to be profitable and supportive of the economy.
The Opposition spokesman on Tourism said the special fund management
could discuss options for easing cash flow problems with the financial
lending agencies to which small hotels were indebted. He suggested
that the fund could also buy out some of the debt so as to reduce
interest rate costs.
Meanwhile,
Mr. Bartlett said while in principle, he supported the establishment
of a tourism fund, he did not agree that this purse should be used
to finance the capital budget of the Tourism Master Plan and that
it should instead be used to help small hoteliers.
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