Hylton Accuses Hill of Deflecting from Poor Ministerial Performance

Opposition Spokesman on Industry, Anthony Hylton, is accusing portfolio minister, Senator Aubyn Hill, of resorting to personal attacks in an attempt to deflect from his woeful performance in office.

Hylton made the charge in a statement to the media which he crafted in response to an article written by Minister Hill under the caption, ‘Tony Hylton is Searching for Relevance’.

The minister used the article to dismiss many of Hylton’s concerns about the state of the country’s economy.

Mahiri Stewart tells us more.

Anthony Hylton says the industry and commerce minister is deflecting from the critical issue of Jamaica’s economic stagnation by resorting to personal attacks and unsubstantiated claims.

In a statement on Thursday, he says the minister has failed to address the substantive concerns raised about his ministry’s performance.

According to Mr. Hylton, many of Minister Hill’s pronouncements on creating an export-focused economy merely echo policies already implemented by previous administrations.

He says there’s been a lack of transformative action or significant outcomes under Hill’s leadership.

Mr. Hylton is also criticising the lack of progress on the Logistics Hub Initiative.

The ambitious project is anticipated to attract US $30 billion in investments and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Mr. Hylton says the initiative, spearheaded during his tenure as minister, has seen little advancement under Senator Hill.

He’s also calling into question the transparency and effectiveness of Minister Hill’s numerous overseas trips, demanding a detailed breakdown of their costs and tangible benefits.

The opposition spokesman on industry also detailed what he says are several pressing questions for Minister Hill.

He also wants specific policies implemented to assist MSMEs, stimulate exports, and address economic growth constraints.

Mr. Hylton also had several questions pertaining to JAMPRO.

He’s asking what’s the current role of the agency and if JAMPRO has been subsumed into the ministry.

Additionally, he asking whether Minister Hill has effectively become the CEO of JAMPRO and other agencies of the business ministry without accountability or a clear strategy.