Seizing on national foment that has sparked days of strikes and a rash of rural road protests, People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding amassed scores of supporters on the doorstep of the finance minister’s headquarters to press for a rollback of the petrol tax.

Delivering a draft ministerial order to Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison that called for a cap on the ad valorem special consumption tax on fuel, Golding wants the limit to be placed at US$67.50 per barrel.

Arguing that Jamaicans were victims of a worsening cost-of-living crisis, Golding warned that the country was on the brink and that there was a sense of drift in political leadership.

Major factor in inflation

With double-digit inflation causing the prices of food and other commodities to spiral, the Opposition insists that the Holness administration should intervene to cushion Jamaicans.

“We feel the gas price is a major factor in this overall inflation. And as you know, there are tremendous taxes included in fuel,” the opposition leader said.

Gasolene retailers have been urging the Government to reconsider the tax component of ex-refinery fuel.

“Our concern is that even corporate tax is lower than 45 per cent, and we are asking the ordinary man in the street to bear a tax of 45 per cent on gasolene,” Dianne Parram, president of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association, told The Gleaner in February.

Several opposition members of parliament participated in Monday’s protest, with demonstrators gathering at National Heroes Park. Among them were Phillip Paulwell, Julian Robinson, Angela Brown Burke, and Anthony Hylton.

Paulwell has since 2021 championed a rethink of the fuel tax regime but Finance Minister Nigel Clarke has rejected it as wholescale and unreasonable, arguing that it would effectively subsidise the wealthy.

In his Budget Debate presentation in March, Clarke announced a $2-billion provisional package for taxi operators and children on state welfare.

However, Golding said that capping the ad valorem tax at US$67.50 would not compromise the fundamentals of the Budget.

“If this is implemented, it would go some way towards the Government showing that they care about the plight of the people,” Golding said.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20220517/pnp-revs-protest-gas-tax-cap

BySantana Salmon

Leader of Jamaica’s opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding on Monday led a march at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service over the soaring costs of fuel on the island.

He was accompanied by party members and supporters who were also protesting against the general high cost of living in Jamaica.

In his budget presentation earlier this year, Golding had drafted a proposal that would see a cut in gas tax. His approach sees the Government imposing a cap on the ad valorem special consumption tax on petroleum products where the oil price of Jamaica’s purchases exceeds US$67.50 per barrel.

Golding said with gas prices rising weekly, his proposal would ease the burden on motorists. But according to the PNP leader, Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke has not yet moved to implement the measure.

In his letter to Dr. Clarke, Golding said the “inflation crisis is ravaging people’s lives in Jamaica”.

He said adopting his proposal would lead to a “meaningful break to Jamaican consumers, given the impact of gas prices on so many aspects of our lives.

Among the other party members who accompanied Golding at the march were Phillip Paulwell, Julian Robinson, Dr Angela Brown-Burke, and Dr. Dayton Campbell.

“Harder Times Ahead” Warns PNP

Mark Golding has also urged all Jamaicans to brace for harder times ahead of rising inflation.

“This is not the year to be so tight with the thing. This is a year when sufferation is going to be bitter on the people. Government has an obligation, a duty to cushion the crises for the people,” said Golding at a PNP divisional conference in Portland on Sunday.

Golding said it is not beyond the Andrew Holness government to assist Jamaicans, but instead the present administration does not listen.

“And I can tell you what you see happening now with the industrial unrest is partly because of those things, because the pressure is on public sector workers. And the process to bring in this reclassification of their employment arrangements and their salary is being done in a way that don’t build no confidence. It is being done in a way that has eroded trust in the process and in the government.”

Golding said trade unions representing the public sector workers have been complaining that they have not been getting the information in a timely basis, and they are not being brought to the table to negotiate any of those details around the package.

“And here we have last week strike; water commission strike, housing trust strike, air traffic controllers strike, all in one week. And who next? So it is a bitter time. The people are going to be looking for an alternative to this government,” he added.

Over the last week, the Jamaican government has come under pressure from several groups of public sector workers who have walked off the job or threatened to strike over salary negotiations.

https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/govt-must-find-ways-cushion-intolerable-crisis-says-golding

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has pledged an overhaul of Jamaica’s agricultural sector, making that reform a central plank for social and economic development.

Responding to a range of issues ranging from inadequate farming extension services and praedial larceny to inaccessibility to loans from PC Banks and marketing challenges, Opposition Leader Mark Golding criticised the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) as an underperforming organisation.

“Agencies that were established like RADA are not delivering what the farmers need to be effective, so we need to reprogramme these things to make sure that they have the right leadership and the right governance structures in place and support them with the necessary resources, treating agriculture as the priority it needs to be,” Golding said at a forum with farmers in Guy’s Hill, St Catherine, Wednesday.

The opposition leader also chastised the Holness administration for failing to rein in the theft of produce – a lament rife across swathes of farmland.

Golding wants tougher fines as a deterrent.

“It is a simple thing, and it doesn’t cost any money to put those offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act so that anyone who steals from farmers can have their assets seized, and the money goes back to compensate farmers,” Golding asserted.

Praedial larceny imposes an estimated $6-billion annual toll on farmers in Jamaica.

The opposition leader also hinted at a revival of the Agricultural Marketing Corporation model introduced in the 1970s to give farmers an outlet to market produce.

The noticeable absence of Irish potato among the produce on display was a source of concern for Lothan Cousins, the opposition spokesman on agriculture.

“A few years ago, Guy’s Hill was the main producer of Irish potato, and today, we are not seeing any on display,” said Cousins.

“It speaks volumes as to what has gone wrong,” he said, decrying US$2 million in Irish potato imports in 2021.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20220506/golding-slams-rada-failing-farmers

M

ONTEGO BAY, St James — Opposition Leader Mark Golding on Thursday urged the Government to address what he said were deficiencies in Montego Bay’s drainage system, shortcomings which he intimated had contributed to Tuesday’s flooding that claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl and left her grandmother missing.

His comments came during a lengthy visit with little Jennel Walters’ parents in the Cornwall Court community of this western city.

“Here we are in Montego Bay, and I’ve been here fairly recently in similar circumstances where the infrastructure of the city is really not adequate [for] the rainfall. So we have flooding, regular flooding, and now we’ve lost lives from this flooding,” he said.

Flanked by a number of his senior party members, the PNP president urged the Government to find a solution.

“This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and I call on the Government to really look at the situation in Montego Bay in relation to how the drainage system is not working and what needs to be done,” Golding urged.

“Yes, roads are wonderful, we’ve been building excellent roads in Jamaica for decades, but some of the basic infrastructure that is needed so that people can live and survive the daily routines without danger is lacking,” he chided.

However, on the issue of drainage there might be some relief on the horizon as Member of Parliament for St James Central, Heroy Clarke divulged that a study has been commissioned.

“We hope that whatever the study brings about, that it will help to alleviate the situation that we now have presently in Montego Bay. We do understand that sections of Montego Bay are below sea level and so the run-off is not as easy as it should be,” he said.

During Thursday’s visit with the grieving family, Golding expressed his condolence and promised to provide some level of support, even though he was unable to give specifics.

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“It’s a terrible tragedy for one family to lose a promising, lovely daughter [in her] first year of high school, and of course the grandmother (the father’s mother), who is still missing. So they don’t really have closure around that,” he told the media after talks with the youngster’s mother Christine Gilbert and Jennel’s father Nicholas Walters.

“It’s a very difficult time, obviously, for them but I assured them that Jamaica loves them and is praying for them and wishes them to have this journey be as painless as possible although the pain is so deep,” the Opposition leader continued.

He had spoken to Gilbert by phone on Wednesday, he said, and there will be internal discussions on the potential help the PNP can offer.

“We’ve had an excellent dialogue. I think we have connected emotionally and I would like to assist in any way that I can, but right now we haven’t had any discussions around that yet,” Golding said.

“It was really a privilege to have them welcome me into their home just now and share their feelings and thoughts with me, and it allowed me to express my sympathies and sorrow at what they are going through and to wish them all the support and love as they go through their bereavement,” he added.

Gilbert said the visit helped.

“We really appreciate it because at this time any support that we are getting, it doesn’t matter from who, we really appreciate it,” she said.

She added that though the loss of her child has left her empty and numb, the support received from Thursday’s visit “helps to give us strength and to uplift our spirit”.

Jennel and her grandmother, 68-year-old Beryl Walters, were washed into the rushing waters of the Barnett River after flood waters pushed the car in which they were travelling into a culvert. The girl’s grandfather, Berris Walters, and her aunt Shannon Walters were rescued by quick-thinking men in the area. On Thursday they were said to be at home recuperating. Beryl Walters has still not been found.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding (second left) in dialogue with the parents of Jennel Reid, Christine Gilbert and Nicholas Walters, at their home in Cornwall Courts on Thursday. Other PNP members look on.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding said that he is encouraged by the turnout of People’s National Party (PNP) supporters and business interests during a ‘Power of the Dream tour’ of West and East Portland last Friday.

Golding, accompanied by general secretary of the PNP Dayton Campbell and party chairman Angela Brown Burke, first visited the Craig Mill Bridge in Buff Bay (West Portland), which is in a state of disrepair.

The PNP leader, admitted that he understands that only $70 million has been budgeted for bridges annually, was quick to point out the challenges faced by the residents, who, according to him, are marooned during heavy rains and should be treated as a priority by the Government.

Golding pointed out that an alternative route, which was constructed along a river bed, has been badly damaged as a result of recent heavy rains, leaving residents marooned for almost two to three days, based on media reports.

“We visited the Craig Mill Bridge, which is the route up to Belvedere and we saw the very poor condition of the existing bridge,” said Golding.

“Some of the concrete beams underneath are compromised, cracking and so on. It’s definitely not safe. We also saw the alternate travelling arrangement through the river bed, which I gathered that a lot of money was spent on, but it’s been basically washed away. The residents are saying, why is it that so much money was spent on the alternate? Why not just fix the bridge itself?

“Apparently, it was not budgeted for this year but due to their activism and the demonstrations, they have had to and so on. I believe that [it] maybe be brought forward and I hope it will be, because the alternate route is not adequate. What is there now… regular vehicles could easily get stuck and today (Friday) is not a rainy day. There was water in the river, but you can imagine when there is rain and the river comes down people could be marooned,” he added.

Golding argued that the situation should be treated as a priority as residents are affected during heavy rainfall and that the Government can find ways and means of doing things when the situation becomes urgent and there is enough pressure brought to bear.

ALIVE AND WELL

The PNP leader then conducted a walk-through of the Buff Bay Fire Station, the Buff Bay Police Station, a section of Lennox, Black Hill, and Hope Bay, where he also met with former member of parliament Errol ‘Jiggs’ Ennis at his home, at which point he concluded the West Portland leg of the tour.

Then it was on to East Portland, where the PNP leader stopped at the Musgrave market and met with vendors. Golding also spoke with a few business operators in the resort town before passing through the Prospect division, and ended his tour in Berrydale, where they held a spot meeting with party supporters, who turned out in their numbers.

The opposition leader later commented that he was very encouraged and satisfied with the tour, as according to him, there is a general feeling on the ground that the PNP is still alive and well, which he said, harbours well going forward. He lamented that the challenges faced by the people were the need for improvement in the infrastructure in the parish.

Among those joining the tour in East Portland were Wayne McKenzie, councillor for the Prospect division; Dexter Rowland, councillor for the Port Antonio division; former mayor Benny White; and Colin Bell, caretaker for the Fellowship division.

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20220411/golding-encouraged-portland-tour

WESTERN BUREAU:

Opposition Leader Mark Golding on Thursday blamed poor infrastructure and a lacklustre garbage-collection system for Tuesday’s devastating floods that caused the death of 12-year-old Jennel Walters, whose grandmother, 68-year-old Beryl Walters, remains missing after also being washed away.

“The infrastructure of the city is really not adequate to address [torrential] rainfall, and so we have regular flooding, and now we’ve lost lives from this flooding,” Golding said on Thursday as he visited the young girl’s Cornwall Courts family home in St James.

Reports are that Jennel, Beryl, and the child’s aunt, Shannon Walters, were passengers in a motor car being driven by Berris Walters, Jennel’s grandfather, when they were trapped by floodwaters along the Westgate main road on Tuesday.

The car was washed into the Montego River, where Berris and Shannon were rescued by bystanders and emergency responders from the Montego Freeport Fire Station, who braved the raging waters.

The body of Jennel, a seventh-grader at Montego Bay High School, was recovered near the cruise ship pier on Tuesday.

Golding comforted her grieving parents, Christine Gilbert and Nicolas Walters, reassuring them that the country was also mourning their loss.

“It’s a terrible tragedy for one family to lose a promising daughter in the first year of high school, and her grandmother is still missing, so they don’t really have closure yet,” Golding told journalists.

He said Tuesday’s tragic death from the flooding is as a result of the ongoing problems of garbage collection in the country and the inadequate arrangement for drain cleaning.

“The municipal corporations are not getting the special allocation to manage the situation with drain cleaning, and so there are a lot of problems with the overflow of water and the attendant damage and loss of lives,” the opposition leader said.

He continued: “This is a serious issue, which needs to be addressed, and we are calling on the Government to look at the situation in Montego Bay in relation to how the drainage system is not working and what needs to be done.”

Golding argued that while the country has been building an excellent road network for decades, “some of the basic infrastructure that are needed so that people can live and survive in their daily routines without danger is lacking, and we need to see the Government responding to this”.

He called for the garbage-collection crisis in the country to be addressed, noting that it was not unique to Montego Bay.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com

WESTERN BUREAU:

Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding says that if the present Government does not make use of the opportunity to have Jamaica become a republic by dispensing with the Queen as its head of state, the next People’s National Party (PNP) government will do so.

While acknowledging that becoming a republic and moving away from the monarchy as Jamaica’s head of state requires consensus in Parliament, Golding emphasised that the PNP is fully committed to such a move, and has always been.

“We (The PNP) have made it clear that we are ready to proceed, and we would like to do it more quickly; we would love to do it this year, but I think the prime minister has indicated that he is working with a two-year time frame. But we want to get it done, so we will cooperate, and he will have our support. We think it’s an important step for Jamaica as an independent country to have a Jamaican as a head of state,” he stated.

The Opposition leader made the comments during an interview while on a tour of Hanover. He said that the tour is about the PNP reconnecting with its base supporters, and to meet, greet and build some amount of momentum, as even though the local government election is overdue, it is still a mystery when it will be called.

While expressing the view that he thinks the time is right for Jamaica to become a republic, Golding argued that the experience coming out of the 1961 referendum has created some amount of hesitancy in subsequent Jamaican governments, adding that a referendum is a constitutional requirement for such a move.

Making Jamaica into a republic by removing the Queen as the country’s head of state has been a subject of discussion in Jamaica for years. However, no political party had shown the bravery to make such a decisive move in the past.

The matter of becoming a republic has become a hot topic of discussion lately, as Barbados made such a move recently.

Former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has expressed regret that he did not manage to achieve such a feat during his extensive tenure as leader of the Government between 1992 and 2006.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has stated that he is not into mere symbolism, and more recently told a member of the British royalty that he is ready to move on.

Golding expressed the view that the majority of Jamaicans would want to see such changes take place.

“Such a move is a fundamental governance issue for the country, and if it is not done now, it will be done when we (the PNP) are in office, and we would expect the Opposition at that time to support the move as well,” he stated.

With there being some set processes to be followed to achieve the goal of becoming a republic, no set timetable has been given by the present Government with regard to achieving that goal.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20220404/if-they-dont-do-it-we-will-golding

RANGE BAY, Hanover — President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding has called on the people of Hanover to put aside and reconcile past differences as the party works towards regaining seats lost in the 2020 General Election and retaining the Hanover Municipal Corporation in the next local government polls.

“The people want us to be strong and we are strong when we are together. So, we will work together to deliver for the people. That is what we are all about. That is what the people want from us. That is our responsibility to them and that is my charge to the leaders in Hanover. Let bygones be bygones and we move forward as one united movement to deliver power to the people. So, I say to the people of Hanover, power to the people. Power to the people,” he told PNP supporters during a public meeting in Orange Bay Square in Hanover following a tour of the parish last Friday.

In the 2020 General Election, the party’s three-term Member of Parliament (MP) Ian Hayles lost the Hanover Western seat to the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) first-time MP Tamika Davis. The margin of victory was 1,021 votes. The JLP’s Dave Brown retained his Hanover Eastern seat after beating former West Indies cricketer Wavell Hinds by 1,595 votes.

Four years earlier, the PNP had retained control of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) in the local polls.

Encouraged by the out-turn of support during Golding’s visit to the parish over the weekend, Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels was upbeat that the party is in good shape and ready to bounce back from previous losses.

“Today was a wonderful day for the People’s National Party. The People’s National Party is on the rise again. The People’s National Party has shown the Labourites that we are up and running and we are in charge of this parish — this parish that we have always been in charge of, and we are going to take it back,” said Samuels who is also the councillor for the Caldwell Division.

He told the gathering that Golding is the man to lead the party to victory at this time.

Therne was also talk of unity from Hayles who had been in a bitter conflict with Samuels following the 2020 General Election loss. He told the crowd that he is in support of a “united People’s National Party because one hand can’t clap. So, even if me did deh clap, ah next man must clap to ensure victory for the People’s National Party.”

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Golding, who took the helm of the Opposition party in November 2020, has been criticised for not visiting Hanover to meet with his supporters and settle ongoing issues. However, Hayles, who is also a vice-president of the party, told supporters that Golding has long wanted to visit.

Hayles also urged the gathering in Orange Bay to not only ensure a win for the party in the next local polls but to also ensure that Golding becomes the next prime minister when the general election is called. He said this is to ensure that the party can rescue the country.

On Friday, Golding started his tour on the Hanover side of the Great River border with the parish of St James. He later stopped in Hopewell, Montpellier, Sandy Bay and Lucea.

The party president also visited the Noel Holmes Hospital to give support to the staff who recently lost a medical doctor who died in a motor vehicle accident. Golding also visited the home of three men from Logwood who were killed by gunmen at a shop at the Santoy and Logwood junction.

“I know that Hanover has been waiting for this moment. I know Hanover wants to feel the vibes of the power of the People’s National Party and nothing happens before the time. Today was a historic day for the People’s National Party in Hanover,” he said.

“I know that every comrade here and every supporter of our party wants to see our party strong. Them nuh business wid interpersonal issues in [the] hierarchy. The hierarchy today shows what unity can bring in terms of strength on the ground,” said Golding.

“We were all here today working together and enjoying ourselves with the people who were happy to see us and have told us they can’t wait for us to return to local government power and to national power again,” he added.

Citing what he sees as the Government’s failure to address issues as such the country’s high crime levels, shoddy roads and insufficient supply of potable water, he said a PNP Government would do a better job. Tackling the real problems of the country and building a better Jamaican dream for all will be the party’s mission, said Golding.

HAYLES… in support of a’united People’s National Partybecause one hand can’t clap'(Photos: Anthony Lewis)

SAMUELS… we have the rightleader for this party