SENIOR members of the Government yesterday said the Administration was moving in the right direction to create economic growth and slammed the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) for its incessant criticisms, despite the fact that the Government has been in office for a mere four months.

“Over the last 100 days, if you listen to the PNP you would think it’s 1,000 days in office, because everyday dem jus a ninghy ninghy, and we know 100 days is a short time. And we know the Government is still trying to get on top of what we inherited,” Daryl Vaz, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, told the Area Council One meeting of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at Scout Association of Jamaica in Kingston.

“Faval (Williams) is there every day, from morning till night, trying to decipher what it is in relation to the state of the economy,” he said of the minister of state in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.

“I will never stand here and say that in 100 days that we are 100 per cent on top of things, but one thing is for sure: we are moving in the right direction, we are moving to implement proper policies so that we can address the growth and job creation mandate,” Vaz said.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, in defence of the Government’s performance in its first 100 days in office, blamed the PNP for not leaving any money for the new Administration to effectively carry on the country’s work.

“We have not even been in office for four months, but dem jumping up and down saying that we not doing anything. But the truth is we have been restricted, we have been fettered and stopped because when we got into Government, we realised that the PNP eat out all the money,” Chuck told the vibrant meeting of JLP councillors, caretakers and supporters.

Chuck noted that Williams, in her recent presentation in Parliament, had revealed that the PNP had left a debt of $50 billion.

“The JLP, we are a prudent Government. When you owe $50 billion, you can’t go out there and just spend. We will have to up the notch and control the spending, ensure that we are fiscally responsible, and make sure that we have the right footing to create the prosperity that [we] promise — and that we are going to give to you,” he said.

He explained that although the $1.5-million income tax relief plan is late, it is sure and will be implemented, and that the entire country can expect the JLP to deliver on its promise of prosperity, as the prime minister has charged every ministry to do something to contribute to economic growth and job creation in the country.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said that the PNP is in no position to criticise the JLP and should give the new Administration some time to do its job.

“Everytime I turn on my TV over the past couple months I see the PNP jumping up and going on as if a dem did win di election, making demands and calling on Government to do this and to do that,” he said.

“Everytime I go to Parliament and I hear dem get up and dem speak, dem have 100,000 suggestions what we must do to make things better, and I only have one question for dem. You were there up to three months ago; do you think you have any right to now come tell us what we doing and not doing without giving us some time to do what we doing?”

Tufton urged Jamaicans to ignore the PNP and to give the Government time.

“It is only fair that we allow the JLP some time fix what the PNP mash up over four years. Three months is not going to make a Government… three months is just to understand what is going on. We need more time,”he added.