'A step in the right direction'
Published:Tuesday | May 24, 2016 | 12:00 AMShanique Samuels
After watching Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s contribution to the Budget Debate, six women in Clarendon yesterday shared their thoughts on his presentation.
“I support the point he made about the affordable housing solutions,” said Marjorieth Manning. “Many people practically live nowhere so persons will benefit from the additional housing solutions proposed by the prime minister in his presentation.”
Manning said this has the potential to work if persons are smart with the investments.
“This is the most vital part of the presentation, because it outlines affordable housing for low-income earners and how it is expected to benefit them.
Angella Campbell didn’t agree with everything the prime minister said.
“I don’t think abolishing tuition fees up to the secondary level right across the board will be feasible for the country overall, because someone will have to pay for it eventually. But in the same breath, it will benefit me personally as a housewife and parent who has a child going to school. He will be able to go to school under the system and get a good education at little or no cost to me. Therefore, I will be able to at least save to send him to college,” she said.
Dionicia DeSilva said she thought online registration for businesses was a good idea.
“Sometimes, as business people, we have to endure red tape at all levels,” she said.
“The prime minister said persons would now be able to register online, so the time to complete the process will be reduced from three days to one. That’s a good step in the right direction.”
FIXED ELECTION DATE
The prime minister also reiterated his ambition to have a fixed election date. Nordia Dyer said the fixed election date is not a bad idea. “I agree with what he said about having to demobilise the country to facilitate the election process and then remobilising again after that,” Dyer said.
Holness had said this was an issue that, from time to time, had interrupted development and investment processes.
Primrose Smith-Francis also agreed with the implementation of a fixed election date.
“I’m with him on that full hundred.”
Stephanie Williams said: “The bulk of the persons paying PAYE will get a break, and so, as Prime Minister Holness puts it, we will get a much-needed break from paying income taxes when the threshold is increased to $1.5 million.”