By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterDR. CHRISTPHER Tufton, president of Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional arm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has warned that Government's optmistic pronouncements on the local economy should be tempered by a picture of increasing poverty.
"I think that with all the euphoria that has emerged over the last few weeks I see some worrying signs ahead. The announcements of the prospects of growth and of progress, should be treated carefully because we run a risk of counting our chickens before they are hatched," warned a pensive Dr. Tufton at a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town on Thursday night.
Pulling data from the Survey of Living Conditions, Dr. Tufton pointed out that an increasing number of Jamaicans are now living on $47,000 or less annually. This amount is the nation's definition of poverty.
"Based on that definition by the PIOJ (Planning Institute of Jamaica) and Statin (Statistical Institute of Jamaica), poverty in Jamaica over the last five years up to 2002 when the last data was gathered has been steadily on the increase," said Tufton.
He explained that in 1998, the percentage of the population surviving on less than $47,000 a year was approximately 15.9 per cent. In 2002, however, that number had increased to 20 per cent. In the Kingston Metropolitan Area alone in 1998 it was 8.6 per cent. In 2002 it had increased to 10.5 per cent. In the rural areas it was 19.5 per cent but by 2002 it had jumped to some 25 per cent.
"I try not to give opinions but I try to give facts as presented by PIOJ and Statin. Just engage your minds a little and look at the picture that was painted and try to reconcile it to the announcements then every well-thinking Jamaican must conclude that there is something wrong in the state of Denmark," Dr. Tufton said.
Over the last two weeks the Government has announced several major investment projects in tourism, bauxite and a number of other areas including the luxurious Harmony Cove development in Trelawny.
Other developments announced by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson include extensive plans for Port Antonio, Portland.
