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G2K Calls On Phillips To Resign
Published: Thursday | March 28, 2013 46 Comments
Floyd Green, president of Generation 2000 (G2K).
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
FINANCE MINISTER Dr Peter Phillips yesterday stopped just short of declaring that he has no plans to resign from the portfolio, at least not now.
Phillips, speaking during a Jamaica House press conference, said he could not avoid people having a negative view of him, "but I will continue to serve at the pleasure of the prime minister and the pleasure of the people of Jamaica and of myself".
He added: "I don't get up day by day guiding my own affairs on the basis of who says what, where and when. I am guided by my conscience and to do my best in relation to the needs of the country at any particular time," Phillips said.
Floyd Green, president of Generation 2000, the young professional arm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), said yesterday that Phillips' position as finance minister was untenable.
"It is impossible for a country to build a sound economic platform and a foundation for growth without being able to rely on the assurances of its minister of finance," Green told The Gleaner.
"Peter Phillips has removed all credibility from the office through a number of unkept promises which have had a clear negative impact on the markets, especially the value of the dollar. It is regrettable that the honourable minister's credibility has taken the same downward plummet as the Jamaican dollar and the Jamaican people who deserve better should not be forced by the prime minister to deal with this obvious incompetence," Green said.
CREDIBILITY PROBLEM
But Audley Shaw, the opposition spokesman on finance and a deputy leader of the JLP, was yesterday not insistent that Phillips should go but said the minister had a serious credibility problem.
"I have no opinion on that matter. That is a matter between him and the prime minister of the country," Shaw said when asked whether Phillips should resign.
"My concern is that the economy is in persistent decline since this Government has come to power and this minister of finance is in charge," Shaw told The Gleaner.
He said that in being silent on the matter of the shortfall in the realised savings from the National Debt Exchange, Phillips had failed to demonstrate leadership on the matter. He argued that the finance minister should have communicated to the country on the matter before it was reported by The Gleaner and later confirmed by GraceKennedy in a media release.
"Every target he has set for the IMF, he has failed at," Shaw said. He pointed to several dates set by Phillips for an inking of an agreement with the IMF.
Phillips yesterday announced that Jamaica's economic programme was unlikely to receive the support from the IMF before the end of March as he had originally announced.
"This is not just about the integrity and the credibility of the minister of finance. Ultimately, his missed targets are what are helping to fuel the atmosphere of uncertainty, loss of confidence and consequent run on the dollar," Shaw said.
He added: "It is not an issue so much of what he thinks about whether he should resign or not. If I were him, I would be more concerned about my credibility as minister of finance when I get up in Parliament and make pronouncements about what is going to happen and it never happens."
But yesterday, Phillips said he "shall not become embroiled in any kind of 'you said, I said, she said'."
"I really feel that, quite frankly, one of the deficits in our political and civic culture is that we have proven unable to find national cause in circumstances of urgent need," Phillips said.
Published: Thursday | March 28, 2013 46 Comments
Floyd Green, president of Generation 2000 (G2K).
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
FINANCE MINISTER Dr Peter Phillips yesterday stopped just short of declaring that he has no plans to resign from the portfolio, at least not now.
Phillips, speaking during a Jamaica House press conference, said he could not avoid people having a negative view of him, "but I will continue to serve at the pleasure of the prime minister and the pleasure of the people of Jamaica and of myself".
He added: "I don't get up day by day guiding my own affairs on the basis of who says what, where and when. I am guided by my conscience and to do my best in relation to the needs of the country at any particular time," Phillips said.
Floyd Green, president of Generation 2000, the young professional arm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), said yesterday that Phillips' position as finance minister was untenable.
"It is impossible for a country to build a sound economic platform and a foundation for growth without being able to rely on the assurances of its minister of finance," Green told The Gleaner.
"Peter Phillips has removed all credibility from the office through a number of unkept promises which have had a clear negative impact on the markets, especially the value of the dollar. It is regrettable that the honourable minister's credibility has taken the same downward plummet as the Jamaican dollar and the Jamaican people who deserve better should not be forced by the prime minister to deal with this obvious incompetence," Green said.
CREDIBILITY PROBLEM
But Audley Shaw, the opposition spokesman on finance and a deputy leader of the JLP, was yesterday not insistent that Phillips should go but said the minister had a serious credibility problem.
"I have no opinion on that matter. That is a matter between him and the prime minister of the country," Shaw said when asked whether Phillips should resign.
"My concern is that the economy is in persistent decline since this Government has come to power and this minister of finance is in charge," Shaw told The Gleaner.
He said that in being silent on the matter of the shortfall in the realised savings from the National Debt Exchange, Phillips had failed to demonstrate leadership on the matter. He argued that the finance minister should have communicated to the country on the matter before it was reported by The Gleaner and later confirmed by GraceKennedy in a media release.
"Every target he has set for the IMF, he has failed at," Shaw said. He pointed to several dates set by Phillips for an inking of an agreement with the IMF.
Phillips yesterday announced that Jamaica's economic programme was unlikely to receive the support from the IMF before the end of March as he had originally announced.
"This is not just about the integrity and the credibility of the minister of finance. Ultimately, his missed targets are what are helping to fuel the atmosphere of uncertainty, loss of confidence and consequent run on the dollar," Shaw said.
He added: "It is not an issue so much of what he thinks about whether he should resign or not. If I were him, I would be more concerned about my credibility as minister of finance when I get up in Parliament and make pronouncements about what is going to happen and it never happens."
But yesterday, Phillips said he "shall not become embroiled in any kind of 'you said, I said, she said'."
"I really feel that, quite frankly, one of the deficits in our political and civic culture is that we have proven unable to find national cause in circumstances of urgent need," Phillips said.
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