So wait everybody afraid or embarrassed

[Assasin]

to talk bout the big Portia, Peter mistep????

Jah know they made a big hash out of this thing...

[Lazie]

to talk bout the big Portia, Peter mistep????

Jah know they made a big hash out of this thing...

All a dem having a WTF moment. Dem a realize dem mek a mistake that cannot be easily corrected.

Poppyshow ... ah mean People Power.

[Don1]

what is that about??

To me the only misstep that matters is the GOJ taking 14 months to do what should have been done in 6..... anything else is fluff by comparison

[Plush]

The Misstetp was how it was done..without consultation, without partnership. As a poster mentioned in the paper, the PNP is following the same arrogant steps that the JLP took. This better work for them as if it doesnt they will be surely voted out.
That said, reviewing the new revenue and tax measures, I think it is overall a decent package put together. The most vulnerable was spared.
Stamp duty and transfer tax is something that can be lived with
Taxes on imports is another that I think make sense..one way to tax reailers and wholesalers who escape tax complaince..besides we need to discourage all that importing.
Telephone tax...this one is debatable but I will tell you that JAmaica has one of the cheapest pay as you go rates...at least it is much more expensive in the US...maybe we can get less talking and more productivity.
Education Tax...not sure on this one
Tax on Dividends, again, the most vulnerable are spared (except pensioners)

[Mosiah]

Yes, major misstep!

What would you have done though, Sass?

[Plush]

What I would say is that the private sector rationalization should come soon after as well...I understand why this is last though as laying off people should be last resort

[Assasin]

The biggest blunder they made is not even to address the matter of tax increases to the private sector, public sector or in their address to the nation the night before.

I could have done things a lot different. Not only have they proven to be liars but they have created a bigger vaccum and disconnect with many of the sectors who were willing to work with them.

Shoddy job.

[Lazie]

The biggest blunder they made is not even to address the matter of tax increases to the private sector, public sector or in their address to the nation the night before.

I could have done things a lot different. Not only have they proven to be liars but they have created a bigger vaccum and disconnect with many of the sectors who were willing to work with them.

Shoddy job.

NO NO NO Sass .... "Not only have they proven to be liars" Please take that back. Yuh want to be labelled an enemy of the state?

[Assasin]

The problem is the JLP never layoff anyone and the PNP trying to keep it but our public sector is way too big. One of the biggest of any government in the western world. They should take their time and cut a few here and there or the wage bill will always be a problem.

[Mosiah]

Would you like to see taxes go up for the private/public sector?

What have they lied abt exactly and what is this vacuum of which you speak?

Talk plain, Sass! Yuh back nuh broad tuh?

[Mosiah]

Should the JLP have laid off people?

[Willi]

Of course, but judiciously and early.

All the pollitrixians delay the inevitable.

Is not a PNP vs JLP thing anymore...we long past that.

We lack VISION and stickituitivity!

We dont lack ideas, I see techie people write great letters to the newspapers for decades. One example today is regarding recycling waste water. Another is what I have said for years...all dem small islands use run off rain water collected in cisterns...we dont in JamRock and chronically suffer from shortages. Hellllooooo!

The problem is that engineers and scientists get scant respect in jamaica, and we only have luv for lawyah and Sco-Sci perfessers.

We reap what we sow.

[Assasin]

Mosiah number one is the night before Portia/Peter addressed the nation and everybody was listening. They could have simply said, "Tomorrow in parliament because of the constraint we are about to raise some taxes" Nothing like that was said and people were waiting to hear some of the sacrifice, Not one word was mention about taxes. Different sectors of the private sectors now say "they can't trust the government as they had several meeting with them and they were saying the opposite".

Every single word Portia and Peter said over the last two years about economics or supported they went back on, salary freezes, economic growth, no layoffs, economy growth, passing IMF test. The budget came up 15 billion short in taxes, IMF by summer, December etc, There is no sticking point. You want me to continue?

The vacuum is now the trust factor on economic policies.

[Plush]

I 100% agreed with you Sass...this was conniving at best. They should have discussed this with the private sector and they should have addressed it in the live broadcast....after the prodcast people felt that was it..but to come in parliament a day later an announce all this....it shows you can't be trusted and creates a big credibility issue for them..Its as if they think they could fool the people by only addressing it in parliament with the hope that all the massesse won't hear...very shoddy.

The need to reduce the public sector but as i mentioned before, it can be done over time through early retirement and not hiring any new people...it doesn't have to be massive layoffs.

[Assasin]

YES!!!!!

We public sector is way too big and unproductive, it has to be done. A simple way the could do it is give elder workers packages to leave. I am sure many would. In NY when I worked with government that is what they do, give them early volentary retirement and a decent package to walk once you are over 50. It doesn't have to be painful as you think.

With our current GDP we can't keep that public sector, no way, no how or every three years we will be right here.