JUTC to merge with holder MMTH

Jamaica's Urban Transport Company (JUTC) will merge with its holding company Metropolitan Management & Transport Holding Limited (MMTH), the Jamaica Observer reported. The merger, expected to cut public transportation costs, is part of a public sector reform launched in 1996 to improve government agency efficiency. The JUTC is expected to lose US$23.7mn for the FY2004, with accumulated losses over the last three years, whereas the MMTH has been profitable. The MMTH is a branch of the transport ministry that acquires and leases buses in capital Kingston. The JUTC will now become involved with similar functions, such as training and bus maintenance.