Western Bureau:
With preparations lagging, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry has taken over as the lead agency in the city's preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, replacing the Social Development Commission.
"We have decided to spearhead the effort because things were lagging behind," chamber President Pauline Reid told The Gleaner yesterday. "We now have all the relevant agencies on board and as a consequence, we believe we are moving in the right direction."
In addition to the supporting agencies, the chamber will also be working closely with Calvin G. Brown, the project/programme manager at the Office of the Prime Minister (western region), who will be the co-chairman in the overall planning process.
Various red tapes
"My role is basically to help the chamber to get beyond the various red tapes they might encounter," said Mr. Brown. "We will be putting various systems in place to ensure that our plans bear fruit."
According to Ms. Reid, in the coming weeks, the chamber will be putting a budget in place to address critical issues such as the beautification of Montego Bay and the restoration of its attractions.
In terms of returns on the money the city will be investing, Ms. Reid said the benefits would mostly be in the area of public relations and advertising, which should come primarily through the worldwide television coverage the tournament is expected to attract.
