Double standards

A push to reopen the economy was at the top of the Government’s priority list when it gave the clearance for the resumption of horse racing at Caymanas Park “without consideration for vaccination”, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has said.

The revelation comes amid outrage from vaccinated Jamaicans, who have cited the incoherence in Government’s policy to allow unvaccinated spectators to participate in race-day activities but prohibit football and cricket fans from attending Reggae Boyz and West Indies matches hosted locally.

The issue was raised during last Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, but Information Minister Robert Morgan sought to defer on the matter, insisting that he was not aware of what transpires at Caymanas Park in St Catherine.

“I cannot comment on something that I am not aware of. I’m asking if you will allow me to speak to Minister [Olivia] Grange and also Minister [Desmond] McKenzie to get the facts on the situation, because I’m really unaware of what [is being said],” Morgan said when pressed on the issue.

Tufton who, along with McKenzie, Grange and other industry practitioners, crafted the protocols for the resumption of sporting and entertainment activities, told The Gleaner that horse racing, promoted by Supreme Ventures Entertainment Limited (SVREL), was given the green light as part of the entertainment industry.

According to the health minister, the clearance was given in the context of a limited supply chain for vaccination.

He said at that time, Jamaica was experiencing a reduction in COVID-19 cases and the general view was that there should be some reduction in COVID-19 restrictions.

The minister said it was also at that time that “the view was held to reduce the restrictions on the entertainment of which horse racing was seen as part of this general direction.

CONTEXT

“Accordingly, the context in which the decision was made for horse racing in June should be taken into consideration. These being, a limited number of persons vaccinated, low supply of vaccines in the country, a general push to open the economy after a significant period of lockdowns and curfews [and] a general policy shift towards entertainment,” Tufton said.

But horse racing resumed in June 2020, three months after Jamaica confirmed its first COVID-19 case and months ahead of the Government’s vaccination programme which began in March 2021.

Similarly, the entertainment sector was allowed to partially reopen in June 2021, a year after racing resumed at Caymanas Park.

Its resumption followed a fiery protest at the park in May 2020 where angry stakeholders burnt T-shirts with the logo of SVREL while demanding that the promoting company do more in its power to ensure that racing resumed.

The protesters argued that coronavirus restrictions, which forced the Park’s closure and brought the local industry to a standstill, were hurting their pockets.

The restrictions set off a chain reaction of losses for not only trainers, jockeys and grooms, but also SVREL’s parent company Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), which contributes billions to the Government’s coffers annually.

Between 2016 and 2020, SVL paid $32.6 billion in fees and taxes to the Government through lottery and gaming, contributions to the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission, and the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund (redirected since 2018 to the Consolidated Fund).

In 2020, SVL paid approximately $8.3 billion in fees and taxes to the Government, representing an increase of five per cent over 2019, according to its annual report.

It said the figure was 3.4 times more than SVL’s profit after tax, “signifying the important contribution that the Group makes to the Government’s coffers in general. We remain proud as a key contributor to the Jamaican economy”.

Asked why approval had been given for horse racing, where both the vaccinated and unvaccinated are allowed attendance but none was given for other sporting events, McKenzie, the local government minister, said he would not comment on the matter.

“I can’t comment on that right now. Something is coming and I’ll speak to it at that time, but not right now. Not at this time,” he told The Gleaner while leaving Gordon House on Thursday.

Last week, he rejected claims that the Government undermined the national football programme by preventing spectators from attending the last two World Cup qualifying matches at the National Stadium.

He said those claims were “completely malicious, reckless and unfounded”.

He said the Government is facilitating the responsible return of sport and social life in general, in line with the COVID-19 indicators.

“There is no policy to promote one sport while restricting the other,” said McKenzie.

Sport Minister Olivia Grange did not respond to The Gleaner’s request for a comment on the issue.

On Monday, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association Lawrence Heffes said race-day activities were allowed to resume because of the protocols put in place by SVREL and not because of any money going to the Government.

PROTOCOLS OBSERVED

“They are very, very strong on the protocols. The protocols have just been clear; so well observed. Testing is done for every member of the working groups when they are entering on a race day ... . If you are deemed to be ill, you’re really not allowed in any at all,” Heffes said.

Howard Hamilton, president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, has argued that the sport was given the all-clear to resume because it implemented COVID-19 restrictive measures others did not.

“Caymanas Track and the management out there were the only people to really put in substantial safety protocols. You can’t go in without a mask. You have to sanitise and you have people going around regularly sanitising hands, equipment, stairs and rails,” Hamilton said.

“They have done much more than any other sporting organisation in terms of getting the facilities properly sanitised to accommodate patrons. So, when the other sporting organisations talk about racing getting so much special treatment, they’ve got it because of the protocols they’ve put in.”

Hamilton insisted that the protocols have been severe and that they work.

“None of the other people have done anything like that, so they can’t expect the same level of cooperation from the Government.”

He described the impact horse racing has on the social and economic fabric of the country as “tremendous”, noting that, on race day, some 30,000 people are directly employed, including those who work in betting shops and vendors.

“The amount of tax that they pay in terms of value-added tax and income tax is something which is also of importance and value,” said Hamilton.

In a statement to The Gleaner last Wednesday, Solomon Sharpe, chairman of Caymanas Park, said the Government approved the resumption of horse racing after the SVL group developed “a detailed, comprehensive process to make the case for restarting the horse-racing industry”.

He said mitigating health and safety protocols were developed and submitted to the health ministry and, based on the “in-depth processes and procedures” that were proposed as part of the submission, permission was granted to reopen the park.

“More similar to the tourism and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sectors which have also been reopened, horse racing is an ongoing industry that operates 12 months of the year to support the overall ecosystem which impacts approximately 150,000 persons islandwide. It is not a one-off event or a singular operation at any point in time,” Sharpe said.

He said the park is currently allowed to host 10 per cent of its capacity on any given race day as spectators, and noted that this has satisfied the health ministry’s requirements for social distancing.

“The additional protocols implemented have worked well and have been consistently maintained by the management and staff of the Park since the permission was granted in 2020.”

kimone.francis@ gleanerjm.com