JA’s PNP lauds Mottley’s fuel cap: This is how you cushion the crisis Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding on Monday took another swipe at the Andrew Holness-led Administration over its refusal to cast a larger social safety net for vulnerable Jamaicans, by pointing to Barbados’ most recent adjustment to fuel prices.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley in a press conference on Monday evening announced measures to further shield gasoline and diesel consumers in Barbados effective this Friday, August 19, 2022, until January 31, 2023.

On Twitter, in response, Golding tweeted:

This is what cushioning the crisis looks like, as it regards the rapid hike in gas prices this year. The JA government’s paltry “targetted” effort is simply inadequate. #CushionTheCrisis

And the PNP’s Twitter page tweeted: “For months, Golding’s People’s National Party has been pushing a cap on fuel prices in Jamaica at US$67.50, a suggestion rejected by the administration.”

Moreover, Golding has repeatedly called for Jamaica’s Government to provide up to JA $40 billion in relief, but this has been brushed aside by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke as being reckless, with the latter insisting that the country must maintain fiscal discipline.

The Holness-led Administration has offered roughly JA $3.8 billion in relief.

Despite Jamaicans being hit with significantly higher petrol prices since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, made worse by the Ukraine-Russia war, the Holness-Administration has rejected calls to remove any of the taxes that apply to petroleum products.

Mottley earlier in the year during her Budget speech capped the VAT on gasoline and diesel and she also announced that the cost of freight would be capped at $7,350 per 20-foot container and $8,000 for 40-foot containers, which represented the average costs of freight in 2019.

“We shall hold these costs for 12 months,” she said.

NewsAmericasNow.com