Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford has chastised the government for spending millions of dollars on the welcome to Negril sign.

He said the money would have been better spent on needy students.

The Tourism Ministry recently unveiled the sign, which is part of a marketing strategy aimed at attracting visitors to the resort town.

In the wake of the unveiling, there has been public backlash about the cost of the sign, and the metal material used to make it, despite the Tourism Ministry’s assurance that it was not paid for with tax payers’ money.

Speaking at a constituency conference at the weekend, Senator Crawford lambasted the government for its poor fiscal practices.

He compared the new Negril sign to an old savings pan.

He pointed out that poor parents who cannot afford to send their children to school, get little help from government.

Meantime, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has again emphasized that the government is not wasting public funds but is in fact being very prudent.

His statement follows criticism about the 12 million dollar Negril sign.

Speaking at a function in St. Ann last evening (September 11), Mr. Bartlett indicated that Ocho Rios is next in line to get an iconic sign.