Dear Editor,
I want to express my lack of confidence in finance minister Peter Phillips, in his attempts at signing a deal with the IMF.
It was reported on March 27, 2013, that the Government will not sign the IMF deal by March 31, despite many repeated reassurances.
On assuming office, one of the most importing duties for this Government and the finance minister was to engage the IMF and to sign off on a deal, in order to restore confidence in the economy. Over a period of time, we have heard him make many pronouncements, such as on Wednesday, August 1, 2012; he reported that he is "Eyeing and IMF deal by year-end".
On August 23, 2012, it was reported that he reaffirmed his commitment to "wrap-up the IMF deal by September 25, 2012".
On August 6, 2012, it was reported that he expected "the IMF deal would be wrapped-up by year-end". There were many pronouncements thereafter, so now, let us jump forward to December 30, 2012, in which it was reported that he stated that "the previous (JLP) government was partly to be blamed for the current Government's delay in signing an agreement with the IMF".
Then on March 20, 2013, he indicated that "contingency talks are holding up", and finally on March 27, 2013, it was reported that he conceded and "there will be no IMF deal by March 31, 2013". The final nail in the coffin is when he mentioned the possibility of tabling another tax package to cover the $10 billion NDX shortfall.
I call on Dr Phillips to level with the Jamaican people. We are all adults here and we are all ears. We are waiting for him to be frank and to the point. The Government has had many meetings with the IMF and has held five retreats over a period of time, which have borne no fruits.
From these negative chain of events, I feel demoralised and defeated as a Jamaica, knowing that we will have a very hard time to recover from this economic malaise.
Based on my observation, he cannot handle the finance portfolio. He should do the right thing and step aside, post haste, so that someone with the wherewithal can take up the task.
Patrick Callum
patrickcallum@yahoo.com
Level with us, Dr Phillips
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I want to express my lack of confidence in finance minister Peter Phillips, in his attempts at signing a deal with the IMF.
It was reported on March 27, 2013, that the Government will not sign the IMF deal by March 31, despite many repeated reassurances.
On assuming office, one of the most importing duties for this Government and the finance minister was to engage the IMF and to sign off on a deal, in order to restore confidence in the economy. Over a period of time, we have heard him make many pronouncements, such as on Wednesday, August 1, 2012; he reported that he is "Eyeing and IMF deal by year-end".
On August 23, 2012, it was reported that he reaffirmed his commitment to "wrap-up the IMF deal by September 25, 2012".
On August 6, 2012, it was reported that he expected "the IMF deal would be wrapped-up by year-end". There were many pronouncements thereafter, so now, let us jump forward to December 30, 2012, in which it was reported that he stated that "the previous (JLP) government was partly to be blamed for the current Government's delay in signing an agreement with the IMF".
Then on March 20, 2013, he indicated that "contingency talks are holding up", and finally on March 27, 2013, it was reported that he conceded and "there will be no IMF deal by March 31, 2013". The final nail in the coffin is when he mentioned the possibility of tabling another tax package to cover the $10 billion NDX shortfall.
I call on Dr Phillips to level with the Jamaican people. We are all adults here and we are all ears. We are waiting for him to be frank and to the point. The Government has had many meetings with the IMF and has held five retreats over a period of time, which have borne no fruits.
From these negative chain of events, I feel demoralised and defeated as a Jamaica, knowing that we will have a very hard time to recover from this economic malaise.
Based on my observation, he cannot handle the finance portfolio. He should do the right thing and step aside, post haste, so that someone with the wherewithal can take up the task.
Patrick Callum
patrickcallum@yahoo.com
Level with us, Dr Phillips
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