Portia chides Gov't over new supplementary budget

BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

PEOPLE'S National Party Leader Portia Simpson Miller yesterday chided the Government for tabling another estimate of expenditure and for ignoring the Opposition's warning that the 2009/2010 budget projections were flawed.

"We were scoffed at, literally laughed at... now another supplementary budget is being tabled," Simpson Miller told members of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) shortly before the new budget was tabled in Parliament.

Simpson Miller, who was invited to address the JCC at its offices in downtown Kingston, likened the state of the Jamaican economy to a sinking ship without a captain.

"In terms of our economy and country, the ship is sinking and it is as if there is no captain," she said.

According to Simpson Miller, Government's revenue is running at $29 billion below the April to January budget.

She said the Opposition had already indicated to the Government that an increased tax package does not translate into collections of what is projected.

Simpson Miller said while some of the challenges being experienced cannot be blamed on any one government, the country was on a path for growth when the PNP exited office in September 2007.

According to her, the country's debt was at $904 billion when the PNP left office, but is now over $1.4 trillion.

"I spent a very short time (as prime minister) but during my time inflation was 5.8 per cent and interest rates were trending down," she said, adding that unemployment and poverty were their lowest ever recorded in the history of Jamaica.

She said all the international institutions were saying Jamaica was on the brink for a take-off.

Opposition Senator Mark Golding, who also spoke, said that although Jamaica has been affected by the worldwide recession, how the economy is managed will determine the outcome.

He charged that the issues affecting the country were shrouded in denial and said the medicine now being taken was more drastic than could have been the case if there was proactive management of the situation from day one.

"Would we have gone to the IMF, maybe or maybe not, but the reality is that the medicine we are now being forced to take for the next 27 months is particularly unpleasant and drastic because of where the country had reached by the time the Government negotiated with the IMF," he said.

POST A COMMENT

You must first register and then login to be able to post a comment.

HOUSE RULES

1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.

2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.

4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.

5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.

6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.

7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, and before commenting you need to register, conveniently, by clicking the link above.

COMMENTS (8)

Andrew Gordon
3/17/2010

All of these politicians are the same! Our country need new minds to be incharge of our affairs. No one from Old Hope or Belmont Roads can lead this change! Not even the Hon. PM's other party can lead this change.
Or is it that we all are prepared to sleep while "Rome" burns?

Rudy Reds
3/17/2010

This govt. needs so much help and doesnt realise it. The few extremely narrow minded individuals who feel that the LOAN RANGER knows what he is doing, is just as daft as he is....

John Christian
3/17/2010

so you have this incredibly huge buisness thats been operating for the last 48 years...the board of directors, have changed the management of the company 4times during this period...after the last management team was removed..it was discovered that the mess left behind stank higher than heaven...causing drastic and unpleasant measures to be taken...now the process requires TIME,for results to take hold...Now comes along the Chief Joker and one of her mini jokers offering expressions of outrage on the current state of affairs...How many of you would hire her to run your buisness..ie...a real buisness that requires intelligent management and sensible decisions...line up and give your names....However in the realm of Politics this person could once again be entrusted with running this Buisness called Jamaica....scary isin't it....

Clovis Green
3/17/2010

wow...amazing! Portia is still irrelevant!! why doesn't she try to understand what is going on in the economy? Granted, Bruce etc are an underwhelming bunch...but to say essentially that slackness in JA is inevitable ("She said the Opposition had already indicated to the Government that an increased tax package does not translate into collections of what is projected.") and by preaching this to the very contingent that are the main source of revenue shortage thru tax evasion, she fails to claim responsibility for her party's governments making it so or to offer a solution for how to make it not so. Bruce, dont mind her, just start collect some tax...even from u big man "friends".
And get to work on the constitutional reform so that we can ditch Queen Eliziwretch and start to have a ceremonial president...non-decision making role with lots of opportunities to hug and kiss and give inspirational speeches.
I know smaddy perfect for the job in fact....

Ras Benji
3/17/2010

Senator Mark Golding charged "the issues affecting the country is shrouded in DENIAL" , while Mrs. Simpson Miller said " all the international institutions were saying Jamaica was on the brink for a TAKE-OFF". It is ironic that both used appropriate discriptions, but wrongly placed. I think there's evidence of gross denial of what the economic situation was in the country in the early to mid 2000's.
Perhaps the leading international institution Mrs. Miller is referring to is BEAR-STERNS.

donny schwartz
3/17/2010

LOL.....poor Portia. U notice how Omar nuh seh nuttin? thats because he knows its the prudent thing to do. Portia, on the otherhand, hasn't the slightest idea. LOL and neither does "mike willy"

Hope Alive
3/17/2010

Wasn't it the Observer who was putting accolades on the Hon. Finance Minister the other day? If the Observer had a category for Minister of the Year, Mr. Shaw would have received it. But can someone answer the following: How many supplementary budgets have been presented in one year? How many tax packages in a year? How many months of decline?

mike willy
3/17/2010

Anybody who can count from one to one hundred can do a better job than the Finance minister.

Did you watch American football's Super Bowl on Sunday?
	Yes, but just for the advertisements
	Yes, just for the game itself
	Yes, for both the game and advertisements
	No, I did not watch the Super Bowl.

View Results
Results published weekly in Sunday Finance

Username:
Password: