Jamaica is in the throes of a serious financial crisis and we are planning to use $300 million of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) for lighting and beautification of an 'elegant corridor' along a strip of Highway 2000 that is home to some high-end hotels.

My questions are:

How many fatalities have occurred along this stretch of highway as against other areas?

How many miles of roadway is this?

I have been advocating that Jamaica adopts the impact fee structure, as is employed by many states in the USA, where developers pay 10 per cent of land and development cost, and this goes towards the necessary social structures on which their development will have an impact - schools, libraries, police stations, roadway, water, sewerage, lighting, etc. In some jurisdictions, if one builds in an underdeveloped area, one has to pay an impact fee every year along with land taxes until the area is developed to an acceptable level.

Why not assist with the funds re the continuation of the construction of the said highway? That would enhance the tourism product.

How about the hotels along the strip paying for beautification and lighting along their stretch of the corridor until the Government is able to take over? Many Jamaican residents have to be assisting with beautification of their road space, and some are even putting in their own street lights.

The feeble excuses about fatalities and lighting as the reason for this expenditure does not cut it. Thousands of Jamaicans die annually whether from the bullet, natural causes or from traffic accidents.

It is great to have grand ideas but we have to exercise caution when we spend the people's money.

We need to spend the TEF dollars sensibly or we will soon have an empty purse.

I am, etc.,

VERNA GORDON BINNS

Theashton@cwjamaica.com

Black River

St Elizabeth