The People’s National Party (PNP) has rejected what it described as false claims, about the manifesto, made by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) during a press conference, yesterday.

The PNP said the JLP’s desperate attempt at fear mongering, designed to mislead the public with baseless accusations

About fiscal irresponsibility, is nothing more than political scare tactics.

In a statement last evening, Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson emphasised that the PNP’s proposals are carefully costed and fiscally sustainable.

Robinson noted that the plans will be implemented within the fiscal rules which the PNP strengthened in 2014 when the party was last in Government.

He said the PNP remains committed to fiscal discipline, debt reduction, and prudent management of public resources.

Robinson explained that funding for the Party’s manifesto proposals will come via various means.

These include, re-adjustment of programme expenditure, that is, re-allocating within the $360 billion provided annually for programmes.

The party will re-prioritise spending to channel resources to initiatives that deliver the greatest benefits to the Jamaican people.

Another is, through natural growth in Government revenues, that is, as projected in the Government’s own fiscal policy paper, nominal GDP growth will yield approximately one hundred and $40 billion in additional revenues over the next three years, averaging about $46.78 billion, per year.

Additionally, the third method will be by cutting waste and streamlining Government, that is, reducing inefficiencies, consolidating functions, and ensuring that every tax dollar is spent effectively and transparently.

Robinson said the PNP’s proposals are strategic, responsible, and focused on improving the lives of Jamaicans.

He said the plan will invest in better jobs, stronger communities, affordable access to essential services, and greater economic opportunity for all.

He noted that, Finance Minister Fayval Williams claimed that the PNP has a history of borrowing to fund its programmes.

Robinson stressed that, what Mrs. Williams failed to state, is that cumulatively, from fiscal year 2017/18 to fiscal year 2023/24, the Andrew Holness led administration borrowed approximately $1 trillion to fund the national budget.

The Spokesman said when the estimated borrowings for fiscal year 2024/25 and the projected borrowings for fiscal year 2025/26 are added, the total is about one point $3.5 trillion.

These figures come directly from the Government’s own revenue estimates, tabled in parliament each year and is available on the Ministry of Finance’s web site.

Robinson said the JLP must also be reminded that throughout its term in office, it has been the beneficiary of the structural and economic reforms implemented by the last PNP Government.

He cited reforms that rescued Jamaica from the brink of economic collapse where the previous JLP administration had left it in 2011.

He said it was the PNP that stabilised the macro-economy, strengthened the fiscal rules, and embedded into law the binding requirement to achieve a 60 percent debt to GDP target, securing debt sustainability for the long term.

Robinson said the PNP carried out legislative reforms to broaden the tax base, close revenue leakages, improve business facilitation, and simplify administrative processes.

He said these measures created a more efficient revenue system and generated higher tax collections, revenues which the JLP has enjoyed without having to make the difficult policy choices the PNP made.

He said, by contrast, between 2016 and 2018, the JLP resorted to increasing existing taxes by over $25 billion, to fund its 2016 election promises, including tax hikes on petrol and other commodities, placing an extra burden on ordinary Jamaicans.