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Prime Minister Andrew Holness makes a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (January 21). (Adrian Walker/JIS)
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has moved to dismiss a call from the opposition People’s National Party, PNP, for the creation of a dedicated road maintenance fund.
Speaking during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives, Holness labelled it unnecessary and ineffective.
Shaloy Smikle, tells us more.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding urged the Holness administration to create another road maintenance fund on Tuesday following Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ update in the Lower House on the progress of the SPARK programme.
Prime Minister Holness acknowledged that a road maintenance fund previously existed.
This fund, which existed up to 2015, was funded through proceeds from a Special Consumption Tax on petrol. But this fund was wound up by the Jamaica Labour Party when it took office in 2016.
Prime Minister Holness told the House that this earmarked fund was a poor fiscal decision.
According to the prime minister, the country’s road infrastructure saw no tangible improvements when a similar fund was implemented in the past by the PNP.
The prime minister told the House that his government has generated the necessary revenues to fix Jamaica’s roads.
He hit out at the opposition saying all the PNP knows to do is to heap taxes upon the Jamaican people.
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