Political commentator Lloyd B. Smith and financial commentator Dennis Chung
By Kimone Witter
Political commentator Lloyd B. Smith says he expects to hear today how a People's National Party administration will meet the social and economic needs of the country if it forms the next government.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding will make his contribution to the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon.
Mr. Smith says the vision of the PNP for the country should be clearly outlined.
"One of the problems that the populace has been having for some time now is that it has been, for the most part, a case of no better herring, no better barrel. So it's going to be incumbent on Mr. Golding to give us a clear and incisive vision as to what the PNP intends to do should it form the next government."
Mr. Smith cautioned the Opposition Leader to be fiscally responsible in his spending plans.
"Of course, one has to bear in mind that a budget presentation must be responsible in that we well know that in real terms, Jamaica's greatest economic sin has been overspending and spending more than what we have really fully set out to produce and earn. The one with this mentality cannot return and so while Mr. Golding will seek to be responsible, one hopes, there will be a certain level of responsiveness in that, as have been said, while we balance the budget we must seek to also balance people's lives," Mr. Smith suggested.
Financial commentator Dennis Chung said he expects Opposition Leader Mark Golding to explain how a PNP administration would fund its proposal to increase the income tax threshold for Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) workers to $3 million.
"The other thing that I think you look at is the issues - the social issues that affect people, the cost of energy is one, the matter of crime, the disorder in the society and maybe the whole thing of development from a capital infrastructure point of view. I don't expect that he's going to vary and come with anything that's different but speak about the way he would execute a lot of these things, cause I don't think there's much more that can be done. Of course, the matter of productivity is very important and he might suggest that as well," Mr. Chung reasoned.
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