Wrong direction

Just under 60 per cent of Jamaicans believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, the findings of a national survey have shown.

At the same time, just over 20 per cent believe that the country is being piloted in the right direction by the Andrew Holness-led administration.

A total of 1,012 Jamaicans ages 18 years or older participated in the poll conducted by the Don Anderson-led Market Research Services Limited (MRSL) between September 27 and October 3.

It has a sampling error of plus or minus three per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level.

Non-aligned, publicly traded private sector interests assisted in financing the research, the parameters of which were determined solely by MRSL, Anderson said.

Respondents were asked: How would you say things are in Jamaica at this time? Would you say Jamaica is heading in the right direction or heading in the wrong direction?

The majority, 58.1 per cent, said that the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 21.7 per cent said the country is headed in the right direction. Some 20.2 per cent of respondents said they were not sure or did not know.

TOP FIVE REASONS

Of the respondents who indicated that the country is not on the right track, 51 per cent said the cost of living is too high.

Crime and violence and corruption in high places were mentioned equally at 36.6 per cent as the second major reasons for their response.

Government’s unfulfilled promises at 22.6 per cent, and too many idle or unemployed youth at 19.2 per cent, rounded out the top five reasons.

The latter reason runs counter to the unemployment rate of 4.2 per cent reported by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, as at April 2024.

For Jamaicans who believe that the country is headed in the right direction, 49.3 per cent believe that there has been economic improvement.

Additionally, 38 per cent believe that the Holness-led Government is managing the country’s affairs properly, while 28.4 per cent said more jobs are available.

Some 24.9 per cent of those respondents pointed to improved infrastructure, while 23.1 per cent said there are more educational opportunities and improvements in their personal development or lives, respectively.

PATTERN OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS

Yesterday, Anderson told The Gleaner that, of the 58.1 per cent who said the country is headed in the wrong direction, 81 per cent indicated that they will be voting for the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) and 23 per cent said they will be voting for the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Of the 21.7 per cent of respondents who indicated that the country is headed in the right direction, 60 per cent said they will be voting for the JLP. Meanwhile, six per cent said they will be voting for the PNP.

For those who were unsure of the direction, Anderson said 17 per cent said they will vote for the JLP and 13 per cent for the PNP.

“This has been the pattern in national surveys conducted over the last 10 years where the majority generally expresses this view that the country is heading in the wrong direction. This is natural, as there has not been an instance over this period where the majority has supported the party in power, irrespective of which party is in office,” said Anderson.

He said it is instructive from this perspective that PNP supporters are strongest in their views that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Conversely, those who say they intend to vote for the JLP feel the country is going in the right direction, he said.

“It should still be noted that 23 per cent of the JLP supporters stand with the majority of PNP supporters in saying that the country is heading in the wrong direction,” Anderson pointed out.

FRUSTRATION OF JAMAICANS

Last month, the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) trimmed its key policy rate by 25 basis points to 6.5 per cent, marking its second rate cut since the start of its expansionary policy in August.

Since October 2021, the BOJ steadily raised interest rates from 0.5 per cent to 7.0 per cent, to control inflation.

Recent data suggests these inflationary pressures are easing locally and globally. By lowering the policy rate, the BOJ aims to reduce the cost of capital, making borrowing more affordable for consumers and businesses.

The JLP and PNP have continuously sparred over the cost of living in Jamaica, with Prime Minister Holness insisting that it would have been doubled under a Mark Golding-led administration.

The PNP has countered that argument, calling it baseless. The party said Holness should, instead, reflect on his management of the economy.

In the past few weeks, the prime minister noted the frustration of Jamaicans, acknowledging that “it is your government’s responsibility to respond to these challenges”.

“One way to protect ourselves from these global price hikes is by producing more of our food locally. If we grow more of what we eat, we won’t be as affected by global price changes, and that’s one way we can build resilience,” he said in August.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com