WESTERN BUREAU:

While inviting Spanish investors to construct more hotel rooms on the island, Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Wednesday implored his ministers to bolster strategic collaboration with Latin America in order to exploit Jamaica's true potential.

"Jamaica has an advantage that we have not even begun to exploit. We are sitting dead in the centre of a major air and shipping route," he said, just before assisting King of Spain Juan Carlos I in unveiling a plaque commemorating phase two of the US$180-million expansion of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

Convinced that the trans-shipment of marine cargo was only one aspect of linking the region, the prime minister said he recognised that there was much that could be done in terms of air and cargo traffic through North America and Europe, as well as Latin America.

He said Jamaica was positioned to host senior ministers of Latin America at a special meeting here later this year. The aim, he said, was to strategise and plan greater collaboration.

With Sangster International playing a pivotal role in the drive for greater economic cooperation and trade, the prime minister said: "We see Sangster International being a critical element, being the hub that will feed both passengers and cargo into this vast Latin American region."

Substantial investment

Boasting that the airport was well-poised to offer this service, Golding acknowledged that the facility was the outcome of eight years of planning, substantial investment and an exciting partnership between Government and the private sector.

Last year, the airport processed some 3.4 million passengers, although it has the potential to accommodate almost three times that amount.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com