Pickersgill’s declaration on PNP achievements upsets Shaw
OPPOSITION spokesman on finance and planning, Audley Shaw, has taken issue with a suggestion by People’s National Party (PNP) Chairman Robert Pickersgill that the party has done more in two years of Government than the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) did in the previous four years it held office.
“Ironically, I heard Mr Pickersgill at a meeting yesterday (Sunday), claiming that they have done more in two years than the previous government did in its four years in office,” Shaw told on Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) press briefing at Belmont Road on Monday.
“I didn’t get to hear any more details of what Mr Pickersgill said but, certainly, the dollar has certainly gone to $107 and heading to $108 to one US dollar without a global economic crisis; certainly unemployment has gone up about three per cent in the period; certainly inflation is once again into double digits, October to October. If that’s what he means by more, then we would have to take it at face value. But, in terms of what was achieved, that is a questionable issue which can be debated at another time,” Shaw said.
The Opposition spokesman warned that “if strong actions are not taken in the arena of stimulating economic growth, on a much more aggressive basis than is now being done, the question is not if we are going to fail the IMF test, it is when we begin to fail IMF tests”.
“So, the central issue far and beyond the IMF and more importantly for the people of Jamaica, is how are we going to generate economic growth that can not only generate the revenue that government needs to finance its operations, but can generate adequate reserves of foreign exchange by way of income rather than by way of debt and perhaps, most importantly, that can create jobs, good quality jobs for the people of Jamaica,” he stated.
“The first two (IMF) tests are pretty much the easiest tests to pass. I am told that in this case they are pretty much confident that they will pass the third test, which covers up to December. But there are storm clouds on the horizon relating to the fourth test,” he told the briefing.
