Jamaican campaigners are criticising the £42,000 (JMD $8 million) cost of the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year.
The visit was made as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. The campaigning group, Advocates Network submitted a freedom of information request to the Jamaica Prime Minister’s office. In details seen by The Independent, £21,000 (JMD $4 million) was allocated for a lavish state dinner. In comparison, a visit by former US President Barack Obama back in 2015 cost taxpayers about £1.3million (JMD $270 million).
Some citizens argue the money could have been used for issues affecting people within the country. Jamaica is seeing rising poverty rates, inflation, and socioeconomic devastation brought on by the global health crisis. At least 400,000 of the nation’s population of three million are living below the breadline.
A spokesperson from the Advocates Network said: “The Advocates Network thinks that the government’s decision to prioritize the use of more than $8 million dollars of our hard-earned tax dollars on hosting the royal couple instead of addressing many of the urgent needs facing our country, is a display of gross insensitivity.”
Ahead of the visit, Information Minister Robert Morgan said the government would not pay for the visit but they would be responsible for some costs, mostly security. The trip saw some protests and calls for slavery reparations. In addition, Prime Minister Andrew Holness talked about removing the Monarchy in Jamaica.
There has been no comment from Buckingham Palace on this matter.
