More attention must be paid to citizens' needs, PM Holness admits

By Halshane Burke   

 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the results of Monday's Local Government Election represent a message from the electorate to the government to fast track the improvement of service delivery.

 

The Jamaica Labour Party went into Monday's election as the incumbent in nine municipal corporations to the PNP's four plus the Mayorship of the Portmore municipality.

 

Both major political parties held several campaign events and motorcades leading up to the February 26 poll touting their policies in an effort to rally supporters around their promises of delivering critical services for the electorate.

 

After the final count of ballots in all electoral divisions, Jamaica Labour Party candidates won the majority of seats in seven parishes, while the PNP won control in five parishes. 

 

 

Prime Minister Holness said the results indicate that the economic gains that have been achieved by his administration need to meet the needs of citizens. 

 

"The magnitude of the problems that we have to treat with, 1.9% growth, the election has shown us it is not enough. It's simply not going to grow the government's revenue enough to correct all the water supply challenges that exist, all the bad roads that exist, the need for better public transportation, it's just not, simply not going to do," he admitted. 

 

"Much more needs to be done to increase the pace of growth, and so that we get more tax stake. So from that we can then deal with the issues that the lady in North West Manchester pointed out to me. She said to me, Prime Minister, I am not voting. I am 70 years old, I cannot carry water anymore. That is a reality that we have to pay attention to. How do I solve it? I say to you, nothing can be done without a growing economy," the Prime Minister asserted.  

 

Mr. Holness said the election has signalled that greater attention should be paid to the needs of the people by re-engineering strategies to ease the pain and suffering that exists in the society. 

 

"If you spend on the social issues, you sacrifice some growth, though you ease the suffering temporarily, but then you get back into the immiseration when you can't continue to spend because you don't have the resources. Within the political cycle, that has to be sorted out," he said, noting that the government must ensure the economy works but also that it cares.