Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva (right) speaks with Jorge Sales, MBJ Airports Jamaica Limited's chief executive officer (CEO), during a business visit to MBJ's offices in Montego Bay, St. James, yesterday to discuss aspects of the Spanish Jamaica Foundation to be launched later this month. - Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A consortium of eight Spanish investors, under the banner of the Jamaica Spanish Foundation (JSF), has set up a charitable organisation to be launched later this month.

A non-political foundation, the JSF will focus on social and educational projects with special priority on community development, environmental issues and sustainable tourism.

According to Jesus Silva, Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica and honorary president of the consortium, the idea to create the foundation emerged out of a desire, on the part of the Spanish investors, to contribute to nation-building in Jamaica.

Part of the Jamaican society

"(The investors) are well established so the idea is that they are now part of the Jamaican society," the Spanish ambassador said. "They want to get involved in projects that will underline their corporate responsibility (as well as) promote projects that facilitate the development of the economy of Jamaica," he said.

The foundation is comprised of an executive board made up of the founding member companies and an advisory board, consisting of Jamaican business personalities, to guide the executive through its decision making.

"We have leading personalities on the advisory board. For example, from the Jamaican society we have Edward Seaga, P.J. Patterson, Bill Clarke, Billy McConnell, Pat Francis, Chris Blackwell and Michelle Rollins," he said, emphasising that "they do not have executive tasks, they will advise Spanish companies."

Noting that initial funding for the Jamaica Spanish Foundation will come from the entities themselves, the ambassador said:

"The foundation will concentrate on social and educational projects with priority for training workers for the tourism industry, community development, especially with priority to the areas where some of the investors are located, we are also looking at the possibilities of some agricultural projects to encourage production and we are also looking at products related to heritage to somehow develop some alternatives to the beach tourism."

The foundation is expected to be launched on November 13.

Founding Spanish companies

1. ACS - MBJ

2. Riu Group

3. Bahia Principe Group

4. Iberostar Group

5. Excellence Group

6. Fiesta Hotel Group

7. Fuerte Hotel Group

8. Calatel Group