Industry Minister to Head Team to Conduct Review of Trelawny Stadium

A committee headed by Minister of Industry, Commerce and Investment, Karl Samuda, will be established to carry out a review of the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium, to see how best the facility can become a viable entity in the short and medium-term.
Mr. Samuda, who made the disclosure at the (Oct. 2) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said that the team will also consist of representatives from the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Tourism, as well as other relevant government agencies.
According to the Minister, the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium, which was constructed to host the opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, costs the government $3 million per month for maintenance. “In fact, the annual projection for just simply keeping the place in reasonable shape without any activities, as has been the case since the opening ceremony of Cricket World Cup, is $34.3 million,” he informed.
Additionally, as part of plans to ensure that the stadium becomes viable, Mr. Samuda said that responsibility for the facility will be transferred from Jamaica Trade and Invest to Independence Park Limited, which also manages the National Stadium.
“The Jamaica Trade and Invest was responsible for a programme known as Cricket Legacy, which involved the management of the facility. They have been managing it since its construction. That agreement, through the activities of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), came to a close at the 30th of September. It was decided that the responsibility for managing and maintaining it and establishing proper use for the facility would be transferred to Independence Park Limited,” he stated.