Categories: Politics Sports

The 2007 Cricket World Cup is upon us. I know, those who are non-English or from non-former English colonies don’t care. It will be held in the West Indies, and larger islands like Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting. In Jamaica, there is a bit of contention over whether hosting Cricket World Cup will be profitable, as it will cost Jamaica approximately US$100 million dollars to prepare for the event, but the returns from the event are forecasted to be at US$9 million. The Opposition is blasting the Government for spending so much money on an unprofitable venture when there are more important matters that the money could be used to address, such as early childhood education.

The Opposition is also arguing that the contract went to Ashtrom Building Systems, a company that has caused nearly JS$3 billion in cost overuns on the Sandals Whitehouse project. They are attacking Government for awarding the contract to such a clearly incompetent company,saying that there are already problems on the Sabina Park project. There is talk that Ashtrom has friends in high places, and that Government awards them these contracts so they can get money via these “cost overruns”. I tend to agree.

In defense of their decision, the Government says Ashtrom won the contract fair and square, and the investigation into the cost overruns have not yet been concluded. And Robert Bryan, executive director of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, says that Jamaica will make at least 7 times the amount it invested. Let’s see.