KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Leader of the main opposition, People’s National Party (PNP) Leader Mark Golding, it is time for a change in the Government as Jamaicans have signaled this to the Andrew Holness-led administration based on the outcome of the recent Local Government election.
The opposition leader spoke on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate.
He said the desire for change was evident by the significantly higher number of Jamaicans who voted in the February 26 Local Government Election when compared to the number that voted in 2016.
“It is noteworthy and significant that, for all the talk about voter apathy, the total votes cast in this election increased by over 81,000 (or 15 percent), more than the votes cast in the 2016 Local Government Elections, moving from 545,571 in 2016 to 626,934 in 2024. Indeed, until we comprehensively clean up the voter’s list by a long-overdue re-verification exercise, we will continue to under-rate and denigrate the vibrancy of our democracy in the prevailing narrative about voter participation,” Golding said, adding that Jamaicans have indicated that they are ready to return the PNP to power.
“All the people of Jamaica who showed us that you are ready, again, to listen to what we have to offer; who demonstrated a growing belief that better must come; who came out and provided a popular majority in support of our party, we thank you for your expression of confidence in us, and we look forward to engaging further in the year to come. We not only listened; we have learned.
“I learned that we have a very aware and astute electorate who have come to see this Government for what it is. Some are still cautious, but most are resolved. Who feels it knows it? The people of Jamaica want change,” he added.
The closely contested, high-stakes election saw the PNP and the governing Jamaica Labour Party appoint seven mayors across the 14 municipal corporations.
The opposition leader also sought to emphasize the need for change by referring to Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clark’s budget presentation.
Golding said the Government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year is not grounded in a vision of the people’s development, adding that frustrations and hopelessness among the majority of the populace will continue to grow.
“According to their economic model, something will trickle down to the farmer, the teacher, the nurse, the sanitation worker, the hairdresser, and the taximan. After eight years, they want Jamaicans to wait even longer for the trickle that might come,” the opposition leader said.
He also pointed to sections of the presentation that were familiar. These include announcements about constructing a new six-story university hospital, adjusted customs duty charges, and plans to bring in new garbage trucks and Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses.
“Jamaicans are crying that times are too hard, the cost of living is too high, and their wages are too low. Young people are seeking opportunities to further their education and better job options. Citizens are crying ‘no’ to corruption and deception, and ‘yes’ to transparency and truth.”
Golding also referred to the “broken promises” of the current Andrew Holness-led administration, including five percent growth in four years and fixed election dates.
The opposition leader also dismissed a statement that Jamaica would have been blocked had the general consumption tax (GCT) not been removed from imported raw foodstuff.
In his opening budget presentation, Clarke announced the pending removal, noting that Jamaica needed to remain compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and avoid being blocked.
However, Golding, during his contribution to the Budget Debate, said that based on research carried out by the PNP, the WTO does not block or unilaterally punish member states for non-compliance.
He also called for the finance minister to be specific on the imported raw food items for which GCT will be removed.
“I note that under the GCT Act (Third Schedule, Part 1, paragraph 6), the category of “raw foodstuff” is extremely wide and specifically includes fresh fruit, vegetables, ground provisions, legumes, onions, and garlic, meat, poultry, and fish. The removal of this protection exposes our farmers to unfair competition from importers, who have little risk,” he argued.
“We know that the rich countries in North America and Europe provide massive subsidies to their agricultural sector, distorting fair competition and giving food imports from those countries an advantage over our producers here in Jamaica,” the Opposition Leader added.
He then called for the proposal to be reviewed and reconsidered, noting that it would put local farmers at a disadvantage.
The opposition leader also sought to discredit the Government’s argument of implementing no new taxes in the last seven years, asserting that tax collection has increased by J$419 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) since 2021.
He said that in the financial year 2015/16, the final year of the last PNP administration, the tax collected totaled $411.8 billion.
This was 24 percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Golding said that the tax collected is now over 28 percent of GDP under the current Holness Administration.
He said $419 billion of additional taxes have been collected over the past four years, representing a 66 percent increase.
“Looking at tax collection from the perspective of each Jamaican, since this Jamaica Labour Party Government came to office, they have more than doubled the annual tax taken from every man, woman, and child in Jamaica, increasing it by a massive $190,000 per person to a total of $342,000 per person of taxation in the 2024/25 Budget.
“So much for no new taxes. No Sankey, no sing so,” said Golding, who argued that while there have been no new taxes, there have been many more.
Meanwhile, during Goldings’ presentation, legislators from the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, walked out of Gordon House, the parliament building.
The incident occurred after Golding suggested that appointing the prime minister’s wife, Juliet Holness, as Speaker was a terrible practice as it lacked independence.
She replaced former Speaker Marissa Dalrymple-Philibert, who was forced to resign following a damning report from the Integrity Commission.
Golding remarked while addressing the need for transparency and accountability in Government.
“The head of Parliament (Juliet Holness) is now the spouse of the head of Government. This does not sit well with the tradition that the Speaker must act independently of the Government of the day,” Golding said.
“The speaker is intended to be independent and must act independent of the government of the day,” Golding added, insisting it is the tradition while being shouted down by legislators who objected to his comments.
He tried to continue, but Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke, who was presiding then, could not control the proceedings.
The prime minister, who was seen mouthing the words “That’s low and desperate,” was picked up by other legislators who exited the chamber en masse.
Golding did not finish his presentation as, with just 14 members on the Opposition benches, they needed a quorum of 16 members for the sitting to continue.
Clarke waited for the required five minutes to see whether any of the government legislators would return, and when they did not, he adjourned the sitting for the day.
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