Golding: Government Must Cushion The Crisis

Opposition Leader Mark Golding of the People’s National Party, is raising concerns over the budget presented by the finance minister, which he deems inadequate to effectively treat with the pending crisis. He says the government’s budget has very few solutions to cushion the strain on the people.

He insists that it is revisited to better treat with the reality particularly from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Opposition Leader Golding, raised concerns while contributing to the 2022/23 budget debate, noting very dark days are ahead for the people of Jamaica and the government’s budget has very few solutions. He says it is evident the budget was put together, without a strategic response to protect Jamaicans from the economic fallout of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Golding adds there is nothing in this budget that will give protection to the people who need it most; he’s calling on the government to cushion the crisis by revisiting the budget. Golding says the high inflation rates that Jamaicans have faced over the past year, will only get worse.

He fears mothers will struggle to feed their children and the average Jamaican will not be able to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the opposition leader questions the relevance of introducing new bank notes, adding new notes will not contribute to people’s survival.