THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has bored holes in the Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen on behalf of the Andrew Holness Administration during the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Thursday.

At an early Thursday afternoon media briefing at the party’s Old Hope Road, St Andrew, headquarters, Opposition Leader Mark Golding and senior members of the PNP pointed to promises made in previous Throne Speeches which were not kept, and key issues left out this time around.

“I won’t say much on the Throne Speech other than to point out that there was very little new in it. Most of what we heard were things that we already heard announced,” said Golding.

“Clearly, they have a very poor track record of delivering on their promises in the Throne Speech in prior years. When it comes to legislation, most of the legislation they commit to in a new year is not delivered and that indeed was the case for the 2023-24 parliamentary year…where 90 per cent of what they said they would do they did not do.

“There was very little in terms of things to look forward to and some of the things that they have relied on as achievements really need to be scrutinised carefully,” added Golding, as he pointed to the Administration’s boast about reducing unemployment to 4.5 per cent.

According to Golding the unemployment figure must be looked at in the context of more than 700,000 Jamaicans being outside of the labour force, therefore, not counted in that four and a half per cent. He also noted that the 700,000 includes 400,000 adults of working age who are not seeking work.

“And this is contributing to the social problems of the society, the worsening poverty and indeed the crime and violence that has become so prevalent in Jamaica,” added Golding.

He was supported by the PNP’s spokesman on finance and the public service Julian Robinson, who scoffed at the claim in the Throne Speech that 500 houses will be built under the social housing programme this fiscal year.

“The social housing Programme, since 2018 it has delivered 200 houses, so on average for the five years that’s 40 houses per year but we are now projecting to deliver 500 in one financial year… So you expect to increase by more than tenfold what you have done over five years. Not credible!” declared Robinson.

He further pointed out that this was the third Throne Speech in which the Administration promised major roadwork under the Special Capital Expenditure Programme.

“And whatever the issues are, whether they are procurement issues or not, these projects have not gotten off the ground. So there is a big lag between grand announcements and implementation, and certainly, for the major infrastructure projects, we are talking about two to three years,” added Robinson, as he cautioned Jamaicans about buying into these announcements by the Government.

The Opposition spokesman also pointed to the announcements in the Throne Speech about the planned improvements to the country’s health infrastructure and argued that while these would be good, the country needs as explanation about the billions of dollars spent in the long-running improvement work at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James.

Robinson also questioned the lack of attention to the education sector in the Throne Speech.

“The Ministry of Education gets less than half-page in this book [the Throne Speech]. Less than half-page for the greatest challenge that the country faces. We went through the Orlando Patterson Report [but] there is no status on the implementation of the recommendations,” said Robinson.

He also blasted the Holness Administration for its delay in putting out a request for proposal for renewable energy.

According to Robinson, the Government ignored this issue for the past eight years and its action now will not bear fruit for some three years.

“And that is a result of corruption. In 2016, when this Administration took over they had a minister. It’s four ministers in that portfolio from 2016 and that is what has stalled our progress with renewable energy,” charged Robinson.

In the meantime, PNP spokesman on citizen security and productivity Peter Bunting charged that there is a litany of things promised in previous Throne Speeches over the years by this Administration that the country has heard nothing else about after the initial announcement.

“From 2019 Minister [of National Security Horace] Chang made a big announcement about redeveloping an area known as No Man’s Land in South St Andrew to construct a state-of-the-art police plaza. Five years have gone by and that has now been dropped from the agenda,” charged Bunting.

He noted that there was also no mention, in this year’s Throne Speech, of the amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act to include provisions for unexplained wealth, which was listed as a legislative priority for the security ministry in 2023.

“This year it has been quietly and unceremoniously dropped from the legislative agenda. At a time when six Government MPs are being investigated for illicit enrichment, it is clear that the Government is more interested in covering up and hiding the misdeeds of its members and what occurs in some agencies.

“Despite promises, year after year, we now see the Government moving in the other direction, reducing the accountability of the executive to Parliamentary oversight in a very deliberate way,” charged Bunting.