Some Jamaica Observer online readers have described as disappointing, Opposition spokesman on finance Mark Golding’s critique of the budget presented by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke.

Golding, in his contribution to the budget debate on Tuesday, described the Government’s $14-billion tax ‘giveback’ package as “the most regressive tax system in Jamaica, in my living memory”.

He also said that while the indirect taxes on consumption and fuel continue as a load on the backs of the majority, the more economically advantaged were privileged in carrying less and less of the load. In addition, he suggested that the Government should have lowered GCT.

Here are some of the comments in response to Golding’s presentation.

VXtruth

Presentation was sorely disappointing!

No suggestions just pure bad mouth.

What happen to constructive criticism?

Has that too been lost on these opposition MPs?

The country is NOT economically out of the woods of despair that the PNP placed it in.

Surely this has not been lost on Mr M Golding.

You can’t cut the GCT yet as it is the biggest contributor to the government coffers. Therefore allowing for NO new taxes. Isn’t that in of itself a good?

Smh.

Leon Ewart

You have a nerve to quote Tosh and Marley. What did your previous MoF’s did that was less regressive than this present budget.

HowieB

You also slammed the $1.5m income tax threshold. But guess what, the budget revenue did not suffer and more than that it is helping to build back the middle income earners and providing opportunities for lower income to earn as the middle income is hiring them to complete constructions. They can now hire a nanny, etc. Things that they could not do before. You and your backward government believe in choking off money at the top instead of allowing it to work in the economy. Mr Clarke is taking you to school, Mark, listen and learn, you may one day get the country to run again.

Wall

Howie, trust me that 1.5 threshold. I will never forget the doom and gloom painted. And look at it now. Working quite fine. Revenue even surpass budgeted amounts.

Tom Stroke

Mark Golding, did you hear that Jamaica still have a large debt, somewhere in the region of 96% of GDP? Have you ever heard of growth and job creation? Do you think that it is only consumption that can lead to growth? Think about these questions and see if your arguments make sense or you are only making noise

Cory

Weren’t the PNP in power for twenty-three of the last thirty years? Why didn’t they give a break to the single mother, the hairdresser, the taxi driver during their reign? Is he having an epiphany? The public won’t buy into this charade.

Mark

Hugely disappointed by the opposition spokeman’s response, he is either opposing for the sake of opposing or has no grasp of the issues. On the basis of this stupid reasoning, I would suggest the opposition leader give the shadow position to someone more competent, for example, Peter Bunting. I would hate to see the finance ministry fall into the hands of someone like this.

NejeeperKNG

The JEEP is one of the most regressive policies ever proposed and legislated. And the socialists supported it wholeheartedly until the wheels fell of and the body was used for scrap metal. Bob Marley also said “You can fool some people sometimes but you couldn’t fool all the people all the time.”

Wall

Why is it that the opposition always come across as anti-middle class. Stop making poverty sound/seem cool. All the subsidy that is provided to persons on the lower end of the economic ladder is done on the backs of the middle class, therefore any break given to middle class must be celebrated and not seen as being given at the expense of the poor. If you can get a good education, work hard, and find an innovative way to create wealth, it should not be seen as something bad. And I type this comment NOT as wealthy person but one who has a mindset of creating my own wealth, if that happen I will be able to pull up a few more people with me. BOUT most regressive tax. A wonder what was there before. Then again he has to find something to criticise. That’s how the politics is, you shouldn’t let anyone get the impression you agree with your opponent. hmm.

DDT

There are many ways to seek relevance, bashing everything the government does is not one of those ways. It actually makes you more annoying and irrelevant in my opinion.

Yes, we need a vibrant opposition, but not one that can only see the negative in everything. I personally don’t care which party is in power or in opposition. I want whoever it is to make sound decisions for the growth and development of the nation, based on constructive criticism that are backed up by practical alternatives.

mrman

He speaks the truth there is no benefit for the small man.

XAMYCA

Another example of why growth, employment and poverty reduction is always elusive under a PNP gov’t. They do not believe that by providing the incentives and removing obstacles, the Jamaican people can do better for themselves than living off the gov’t dole. What is wrong with providing INCENTIVES for growth AND INCREASING the social safety net for the most vulnerable … the gov’t has done BOTH… it doesn’t have to be either or. Encourage a man to fish and creating more fishermen rather than giving him a “eat a food” fish everyday. One day we are going to run out of fish to give away. This is a growth budget, not an austerity budget of the kind you and PNP stifled the country with.