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Says it delivered more than 50 per cent of '07 manifesto promises
BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, December 15, 2011
THE ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) says it has already delivered way in excess of half the promises it made when it sought the electorates' approval in the 2007 poll.
Yesterday the party released a 22-page document as a precursor to its manifesto which is expected to be launched by next Monday and in which it outlined a raft of achievements in its four years in office.
"We didn't prepare achievements in that way, but from what I have seen and my own analysis, I would say we have gone far in excess of 50 per cent of the promises made," said party leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Holness, who was addressing a press conference at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston, said were they to take into account those things considered to be work-in-progress the party would score an even higher grade.
"You have to also bear in mind that we are in the fourth year of a five-year cycle," he said.
The raft of promises made in the 2007 manifesto included a platform for strong economic growth, increased access to quality education, better health care and housing, greater and more reliable water supply, a revolutionised agriculture sector, programmes to reduce crime, better access to information, programmes to alleviate poverty, and local government improvement programmes.
"The number of achievements that we can lay claim to, even for me who is now leading the country, is significant," declared Holness
The prime minister said when the JLP took office the administration was immediately faced with increased oil and food prices, a financial meltdown and a recession.
"So the labour party forming the government in four years can produce this document enumerating our achievements against the backdrop of significant global events that have made it very difficult even for civilisation and countries that have far deeper roots than Jamaica," Holness said.
Holness, while admitting that jobs have been lost, said Jamaica has done very well relative to other countries.
"Certainly we have lost jobs and we have not created as many as we wanted to, but when you put that against what has happened internationally, Jamaica has not done too badly," he said.
He argued that successive governments, in a bid to address the job issue has either operated state-owned entities at a loss or provide short-term employment.
A JLP-led government, he said, would seek to consolidate and rationalise its operation through a public-private partnership as job creation requires investments.
Meanwhile, deputy leader of the JLP and Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Christopher Tufton said the party has established a track record of managing the global crisis and is now in a position to advance further and move the country forward.
"Today this document as a precursor to our manifesto which will be launched on or before Monday of next week is an attempt to get the country to focus on what we have done and the real issues," Tufton said.
Noting that it was still work in progress, Tufton said four years is not a long time to recover from a legacy of debt, instability, insecurity and hopelessness.
Tufton said the party promised a platform for strong economic growth and has delivered.
"Before 2007 this was difficult to attain even before the global financial meltdown because of the macro-economic variables which did not encourage entrepreneurship or investments," he said.
Four years on, Tufton said the macro-economic environment is a lot more predictable and conducive to stimulate and encourage entrepreneurial activities.
"We promised access to quality education and we believe it is a work in progress and our manifesto later this week will advance more specifics on the way forward for education, however we believe we have achieved enough based on promises we made back in 2007," he said.
As for the promise of better and free health care, Tufton said, "yes it is true that you may have to wait awhile to get access to that free health care but the truth is that prior to 2007 many people didn't bother to go to hospitals to access health care because they could not afford it," he said.
Tufton said they have revolutionised agriculture which has grown by 17 per cent since 2007 and tourism, which increased by 13 per cent.
Under the JLP, Tufton said, crime has been reduced by 36 per cent and has been the lowest in 20 years".
"That for us is a significant achievement," he said.
Admitting that incidents of poverty have increased, Tufton said this must be attributed to the economic fallout from the global recession, but said social programmes such as the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education and school-feeding programme were increased to cushion the effects.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1gbJCNwl5
BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, December 15, 2011
THE ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) says it has already delivered way in excess of half the promises it made when it sought the electorates' approval in the 2007 poll.
Yesterday the party released a 22-page document as a precursor to its manifesto which is expected to be launched by next Monday and in which it outlined a raft of achievements in its four years in office.
"We didn't prepare achievements in that way, but from what I have seen and my own analysis, I would say we have gone far in excess of 50 per cent of the promises made," said party leader and Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Holness, who was addressing a press conference at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston, said were they to take into account those things considered to be work-in-progress the party would score an even higher grade.
"You have to also bear in mind that we are in the fourth year of a five-year cycle," he said.
The raft of promises made in the 2007 manifesto included a platform for strong economic growth, increased access to quality education, better health care and housing, greater and more reliable water supply, a revolutionised agriculture sector, programmes to reduce crime, better access to information, programmes to alleviate poverty, and local government improvement programmes.
"The number of achievements that we can lay claim to, even for me who is now leading the country, is significant," declared Holness
The prime minister said when the JLP took office the administration was immediately faced with increased oil and food prices, a financial meltdown and a recession.
"So the labour party forming the government in four years can produce this document enumerating our achievements against the backdrop of significant global events that have made it very difficult even for civilisation and countries that have far deeper roots than Jamaica," Holness said.
Holness, while admitting that jobs have been lost, said Jamaica has done very well relative to other countries.
"Certainly we have lost jobs and we have not created as many as we wanted to, but when you put that against what has happened internationally, Jamaica has not done too badly," he said.
He argued that successive governments, in a bid to address the job issue has either operated state-owned entities at a loss or provide short-term employment.
A JLP-led government, he said, would seek to consolidate and rationalise its operation through a public-private partnership as job creation requires investments.
Meanwhile, deputy leader of the JLP and Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Christopher Tufton said the party has established a track record of managing the global crisis and is now in a position to advance further and move the country forward.
"Today this document as a precursor to our manifesto which will be launched on or before Monday of next week is an attempt to get the country to focus on what we have done and the real issues," Tufton said.
Noting that it was still work in progress, Tufton said four years is not a long time to recover from a legacy of debt, instability, insecurity and hopelessness.
Tufton said the party promised a platform for strong economic growth and has delivered.
"Before 2007 this was difficult to attain even before the global financial meltdown because of the macro-economic variables which did not encourage entrepreneurship or investments," he said.
Four years on, Tufton said the macro-economic environment is a lot more predictable and conducive to stimulate and encourage entrepreneurial activities.
"We promised access to quality education and we believe it is a work in progress and our manifesto later this week will advance more specifics on the way forward for education, however we believe we have achieved enough based on promises we made back in 2007," he said.
As for the promise of better and free health care, Tufton said, "yes it is true that you may have to wait awhile to get access to that free health care but the truth is that prior to 2007 many people didn't bother to go to hospitals to access health care because they could not afford it," he said.
Tufton said they have revolutionised agriculture which has grown by 17 per cent since 2007 and tourism, which increased by 13 per cent.
Under the JLP, Tufton said, crime has been reduced by 36 per cent and has been the lowest in 20 years".
"That for us is a significant achievement," he said.
Admitting that incidents of poverty have increased, Tufton said this must be attributed to the economic fallout from the global recession, but said social programmes such as the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education and school-feeding programme were increased to cushion the effects.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1gbJCNwl5