By Lynford Simpson, Staff Reporter
Left: Edmund Bartlett, Opposition Spokesman on Tourism. Industry and Tourism Minister, Aloun Assamba.
THE OPPOSITION Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is not about to let up on its allegations that fraud has been committed at the Jamaica Tourist Board's (JTB) New York office.
Edmund Bartlett, Opposition Spokes-man on Tourism, last Tuesday called on Industry and Tourism Minister, Aloun Assamba, to table in Parliament, the full report of an internal audit at the New York office.
He also wants a full investigation into how funds dedicated to the Operation GROW programme were spent. Some US$13 million was allocated to Operation GROW which was designed to restore Jamaica's image in the international community after the West Kingston violence of July, 2001 which claimed 27 lives; and to counter the fallout from the terrorists attacks on the United States in September of the same year.
However, there are reports that US$7 million of the amount cannot be accounted for.
Below is the full text of a resolution tabled in the House last week by Mr. Bartlett:
Whereas reports of widespread fraud and defalcation of accounts at the New York office of the Jamaica Tourist Board resulted in an internal audit being commissioned by the then Minister of Tourism and Sport, a report of which was prepared and presented to that Minister;
And whereas this audit contains findings which confirm the reports referred to above and further reveals that US$13 million was spent on a major programme "Operation GROW", designed to restore Jamaica's image after the September 11 tragedy in the United States in 2001, and further, that some US$7 million of expenditure cannot be accounted for to date;
And whereas repeated calls for the then Minister to make public the report, which has caused great public concern, have gone unheeded;
And whereas the image of the Jamaican Tourism Industry could be severely tarnished by this non-disclosure of a sensitive public matter, contrary to good public management and transparency.
Be it resolved that the Minister of Industry and Tourism lay on the table of this Honourable House the full report of the internal audit;
And be it further resolved that this Honourable House call upon the Minister to conduct a forensic audit of the Jamaica Tourist Board offices locally and overseas, with specific reference to the "Operation GROW" programme, and further that the full report of such audit be tabled in this Honourable House immediately thereafter.
