Shaky start to prosperity
Dear Editor,
After being in the political wilderness for so long, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has returned to Government with some half-hearted, premature and unconvincing promises. The JLP promised to increase the net pay for persons earning up to $1.5 million per year and, on the face of it, it sounded wonderful. But recent pronouncements remind me of what April 1 is popularly known for.
They have also promised to build a hospital in Portmore, expand the Bustamante hospital, provide free doctors’ visits, raise the minimum wage, expand school infrastructure, remove mandatory school fees, increase funds available for student loans, and a whole host of capital-needed initiatives. Now, after less than 100 days the country is seriously questioning if it made a mistake in electing the JLP to power.
The Jamaican people knew full well that their taxes are what run the country: from paying civil servants to cleaning drains, but in an effort to take home more money the mandate was taken from the People’s National Party (PNP) and given to the JLP. Now the finance minister, Audley Shaw, says that several challenges have been encountered which may cause a delay in the actual implementation of the plan to give the income tax relief in the next fiscal year.
The $1.5-million question is, where did the finance minister see the leverage for such an implementation in our financial climate? The next question is, where will the money come from to finance the 2016-2017 budget without increased taxes? The finance minister is almost in a deja vu position dating to back to July 2006 when the nurses were promised an increase in take-home pay.
The JLP is off to a rather shaky start and they should be mindful that they only hold a one-seat majority in parliament.
The country is on edge and is keenly watching the Government’s every move and listening to every word that they say, and so far it is not good. The country braces itself to hear what will come of this $ 1.5-million drama and what the 2016-2017 budget will look like.
Hezekan Bolton
h_e_z_e@hotmail.com