In a media release Sunday, Opposition spokesman on Finance and Planning, Audley Shaw said that Jamaica is stressed.
He also said that unemployment is still too high and poverty is up.
“Those on fixed incomes just can’t make ends meet due to the savage devaluation of the Jamaican dollar, plunging our purchasing power by 40 per cent”, Shaw contended.
The Opposition spokesman stressed the importance of getting Jamaica’s economy to grow again.
“The solid positive year-after-year growth rate that Jamaica saw in 1962 to 1971 period is a must. No government, other than the JLP, can lay claim to a six per cent, an eight per cent, a nine per cent, or 12 per cent economic growth rate in Jamaica’s post-independence period,” Shaw insisted.
Shaw also suggested having a run-away investment and growth, targeting six per cent annual growth over a sustained period of time.
“It is no secret, a larger tax base can happen but we must increase employment. Squeezing every last cent from businesses and individuals causes contraction in the economy, not growth”, Shaw pointed out.
“The JLP firmly believes that GCT, corporate and individual income taxes should be lowered over time. High tax rates perpetuate non-compliance and causes a heavier tax burden on tax compliant persons”, Shaw stated.
He insisted: “The JLP has a track record of proven performance, we understand how a market economy works and we know how to attract investment and create jobs to move Jamaica from poverty to prosperity.”
