THE ORGANISERS of Suarez Circus have been hobbled by a loss in excess of $5 million, triggered by the double whammy of the brouhaha with the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) over regulatory requirements and a powerful hurricane which followed in quick succession.
"We've lost over $5 million, and right now, I am seriously questioning whether the circus will go to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and other towns. I plan to do a feasibility study to see what the added costs of going to these areas will be, and if it is not worthwhile, the circus will not be going," said Marlon Burke, chief executive officer of Shamar Enterprises Ltd., which owns the contract for the Suarez Brothers Circus in the Caribbean.
PLANS MAY BE SHELVED
The circus was slated to remain in Kingston for six weeks before heading off to other towns in the island, but those plans may be shelved.
"I cannot allow this venture to put me into bankruptcy. I will have to wait and see," Mr. Burke said. " I just hope that the strength of the show we have will see us through; we are now getting good word-of-mouth support."
The planned opening on July 2 had been aborted after the KSAC announced that the organisers had failed to secure the necessary permits. Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie had even publicly chided the organisers for illegally placing several flyers and posters across the city.
