G.O.B. May Increase Private Sector Investments in Protected Areas

During the press conference, APAMO also raised concerns regarding how changes to the legislation surrounding co-managers and their partners would have on the tourism sector. According to APAMO, changes to operations and policies may affect the livelihoods of those employed in this sector. C.E.O. Doctor Kenrick Williams told News Five on Friday that the ministry acknowledges the concerns of APAMO and plans to strategize accordingly. However, Doctor Williams maintains that the goal is to improve the tourism sector.

 

Dr. Kenrick Williams, CEO, Ministry of Sustainable Development

“So the intention is to improve the system that we have, right? When you look at the tourism product that some of these protected areas, it certainly can be improved, right? And the services and stuff like that. The whole idea of this new framework is trying to, again, strengthen that. How do we engage the Ministry of Tourism as part of the national discussion? How do we engage the respective B.T.B. and all the other agencies in the process? We have to look at services that these protected areas provide and see possibly how we can leverage new resources. There’s opportunities for concessions, private sector investments within these protected areas that can then benefit the protected areas. Co-managers have to look at those opportunities. This is 2024. There’s some unique opportunities out there. We’ve been discussing things like carbon credits and these concessions and opportunities for investment in these protected areas. We can’t do one and not strengthen the system which we’re going to do that in, and so that is the intent of the revised changes in the legislation.”