Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has sought to rubbish claims that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has deviated sharply from its mandate.

Last Thursday, former Managing Director of the Development Bank of Jamaica, Kingsley Thomas, called for a fundamental reassessment of how the TEF is being used.

Mr. Thomas claimed that the fund’s resources, which should enhance Jamaica’s tourism product, are instead being used for expenditures outside of its prescribed guidelines.

He insisted that the TEF should be used to improve main towns and develop attractions.

When probed by IRIE FM News for a response on the matter, Minister Bartlett said the TEF has not lost its way, but has morphed into an institution which develops the human and physical capital of Jamaica.

On the matter of using the TEF to improve attractions, Mr. Bartlett noted that Jamaica’s primary attraction is the people, and investments that cater to them will continue.

He pointed to some of the investments made to enhance the quality of life of people within the tourism industry.