WESTERN BUREAU:
BUSINESSMAN Winston Dear expects government to legalise casino gaming during the current administration and is predicting that it will bring tremendous benefit to Montego Bay, which is now being viewed as a major economic centre in the Caribbean.
"There is great expectation that government will bow to the demand of the private sector and introduce casino gaming during the current administration," said Mr. Dear, who was the main speaker at Wednes-day's Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) parish dialogue on the household expenditure survey. "If this happen, the city will literally explode with the development of a whole new range of hotel and support activities."
In addition to St. James, Mr. Dear is also expecting that other sections of the west will benefit from the projected casino spin-off.
"Projects such as Harmony Cove (the multi-billion dollar development recently announced by government) will be an instant success," he said. "There will be tremendous opportunity for development in this region."
In preparation for Montego Bay's transition as an international centre for business and commerce, Mr. Dear wants STATIN to assist in determining the city's population, which will become critical in the plan for housing and traffic management in light of the range of new developments taking place.
"We need STATIN to help us re-define the population of Montego Bay," said Mr. Dear, who thinks the current data, which is stating that the city's population increase by a mere 17,000 between 1992 and 2001 is inaccurate base on the rapid population expansion in the city's 19 informal communities.
"It is important that we have these data corrected because it is the only way that government will be able to plan properly." With the major development now taking place at the Sangster International Airport, the expansion plans for Montego Bay port and multimillion dollar projects such as the Shoppes of Rosehall and the Iberostar hotel, Mr. Dear thinks the addition of a casino will be jewel in the crown.
