The
Negril Chamber of Commerce
was one of the visionaries
and continues to be
a leader in the Greening
of Negril Program. Although
the Chamber's mandate
is largely to promote
the development of business,
it has seen the bigger
picture and made the
connection between business
development and environmental
management placed in
the context of sustainable
development. Negril's
economy is largely dependent
on tourism with natural
resources conservation
being one of the key
elements of sustainable
tourism development.
As
part of the Greening
of Negril initiative
we have worked with
the Chamber on a number
of projects. These include
community environmental
awareness, the recycling
of grey water, sanitation
and water quality monitoring.
We have also worked
together on a recycling
center for glass and
cardboard that we hope
will be launched soon
with the support and
participation of the
entire Negril community.
It
is obvious that the
Chamber is concerned
about the development
of the entire Negril
destination. This is
evident from its involvement
in a wide range of projects
and activities touching
on social, educational,
community development
and business development
issues. It is indeed
a holistic approach
which is quite appropriate
as we live in a complex
society with so many
areas of interaction
that are critical to
the development of the
society and the economy.
USAID
wishes the Chamber the
very best
in its future endeavors.
There are a number of
important developments
in the world economy
that will impact on
Jamaica and indeed Negril
in the short-term The
tourism industry is
very competitive and
particularly so in this
recovery stage after
the events of September
II . Negril with its
five-mile stretch of
pristine beach, beautiful
water and coral reef
ecosystem is particularly
well placed to compete
in the international
arena as a tourist destination.
I am certain that there
are other areas of the
Negril economy that
can be developed for
entry into the international
marketplace. That may
be one of the challenges
of the Chamber, that
of diversifying the
Negril economy. I would
like to encourage the
full participation of
the entire Negril community,
the private sector,
government, non-government
organizations and local
communities. The way
forward requires the
joint efforts of all
facets of civil society
working in harmony.
I
would like to congratulate
the Negril Chamber of
Commerce for their
achievements to date.
I pledge the continued
support of US AID for
your activities in our
efforts to build a sound
economic base for the
prosperity of the people
of Jamaica.