By Andrew Clunis, Gleaner U.K. Writer 
Davies
FINANCE AND Planning Minister Dr. Omar Davies, in the United Kingdom for a series of meetings which began in Manchester on Thursday, said the government, while looking at the possibility of increasing its stake in Air Jamaica, was not dismissing talks of establishing a regional airline.
The minister heard impassioned pleas from residents who normally rely on Air Jamaica's Manchester service for the Government to rescind the airline's decision to axe its weekly Manchester flights as part of its stabilisation efforts.
Dr. Davies, however, told them that the decision was out of the government's hands and was a matter for Air Jamaica's executives.
REGIONAL AIRLINE
"If you can show increased demand I'm sure it's something they would look at," he said. He then told them that if the conditions were right, a regional airline could be a future possibility.
It was revealed in the Senate last week Friday that the national carrier has lost more than $34 billion since its privatisation in 1994 and was also carrying a debt burden of almost $42 billion. Of this amount, $8.5 billion is owed to government.
The three-part seminar series is facilitated by Jamaica National Building Society and The Gleaner's Voice group. Forum chairman, Dunbar McFarlane, consultant to the JNBS Group, emphasised the need for the Jamaican diaspora to be kept abreast of developments at home.
The panellists are Oliver Clarke, the Gleaner Com-pany's managing director, and Earl Jarrett, general manager of JNBS.
The health of Jamaica's economy and the island's ability to cope with the effects of Hurricane Ivan were also high on the agenda for those who braved the weather to attend the 'Outlook For The Future' forum at New Century House in the city centre.
Thursday's meeting was attended by residents of Manchester and the surrounding communities of Leeds, Preston, Liverpool, Oldham and Sheffield. During a detailed presentation outlining the recent economic hurdles the government faced and the projected growth path over the next two years, Dr. Davies said the future was filled with nothing but optimism.
He said that in an effort to attain three per cent growth over the next financial year, the main target area was tourism, adding that more than 5,000 new hotels rooms were in the works.
TOURISM PROJECTS
He said all tourism projects were going ahead despite the effects of Hurricane Ivan and that the tourism sector should be fully ready for the December 15 start of the winter tourist season.
Many on the floor, however, felt that the government was not tapping into Jamaica's full tourism potential. Carl Mears from Oldham said the government was not doing enough to get visitors into the core of the island.
"The focus of tourism is on the north coast but Jamaica has so much more to offer. The government should seek to get more out of the natural resources," he said. Dr Davies said eco-tourism was fast establishing itself as a significant facet of the island's total tourism product.
