WESTERN BUREAU:
MEMBERS of Parliament for Hanover will meet with the business community in a bid to discuss issues concerning commerce and Hanover's development at a forum to be held at Tryall Golf Course on February 2, 2002.
Ralston Anson, of the ruling People's National Party (PNP), and Barrington Gray of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will highlight the theme 'Hanover, The Way Forward'. This is aimed at generating ideas and interest in the establishment of new businesses and the promotion of existing ones.
Rayan Morrison, President of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, told The Gleaner that both the Chamber of Commerce and the Parish Development Committee (PDC) have had various plans for the parish which were left untouched. "We need to get things going, the PDC and the Chamber of Commerce have had various plans and ideas but we had not really made any significant drive to actually move, so we said that it is either 2003 or never," Morrison exclaimed.
Members of Parliament will look at areas of concern in their constituencies, such as the infrastructure that are utilised and especially the unused government assets. Some of these in the parish, namely the Carla Factory and Kite Factory, among others, could be used to uplift the parish.
Other issues that are to be discussed are a development plan for the parish, sewage system. Morrison, quite optimistic about the forum, states that they are anticipating that there will be a high level of success based on the fact that for so long, there have been talks without action. "People of Hanover will support the parish. Hanovarians love their parish, but because of the history of talks without action, this time something substantial will come out of it", Morrison said.
Hanover is strategically located approximately half way between Negril and Montego Bay, which are increasingly being recognised as the tourist hubs of the island, and 25 miles from Savannah-la-Mar.
According to the 2002 population count released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Hanover has a population of 66,825 persons with a population growth of 0.22 per cent. Of the total population, 40,850 persons are 18 years and over.
In stressing areas of development for the parish, Morrison outlined a proposal to bring cruise shipping to the parish. "I do not say cruise ships cannot come to the parish, but I have to see the structure, strategically Lucea would be a good option as it is outside of Montego Bay, where the traffic is very heavy and you're half way between Negril Montego Bay and Westmoreland. [You have better accessibility] to various tourist attractions. Lucea would be a good destination for tourist, providing the harbour can accommodate," Morrison said.
He said one of the parish's major problems is braindrain, but that those who are well trained, who could help the parish, are not able to get employment in Hanover.
"We want to look at Hanover's income, based on its tourism and agriculture. What we have come to realise is that there is no way in which we can compete with farmers who benefit from economies of scale, we have to look at added value." Some of the areas of concentration of added value to farming product are farming organic aimed at increasing price or the raw material as a value added.
"We cannot sell raw materials alone to first world countries, economies of scale will force us out. We have to find creative ways to create products out of raw materials that we have in Hanover," Morrison suggest. The forum is a joint effort by the Parish Development Committee and the Hanover Chamber of Commerce.
