George Henry, Gleaner Writer
GOLDING
SPALDINGS, Clarendon:
OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding has come out against the way Government has allocated funds for constituencies in Jamaica. Addressing party supporters at a meeting at the Spaldings Primary School Thursday night, Mr. Golding said funds are not being distributed equally in constituencies, and that it is unfair to taxpayers.
TWO PER CENT ALLOCATION
He said if there is to be equality in the distribution of money from the budget, Government should take out "take out two and a half per cent of the budget.
"Allocate that equally among the 60 constituencies, don't be partial to any. Whether the constituency has a PNP MP or a JLP MP it should not make any difference. Allocate it equally among them because everybody pays taxes whether you are JLP or PNP," said Mr. Golding.
Should this be done, Mr. Golding said, the funds would be made available to finance projects in the constituency according to needs.
The Opposition Leader explained that if the two and a half per cent of the budget were allocated to the 60 constituencies, each would receive about $130 million from this year's budget, but that amount could be increased next year, based on the increase in the total budget.
Using the constituency of North West Clarendon as an example, Mr. Golding said if the money is allocated, it could do a number of things, like repairing road breakaways like some that have been around in that constituency since Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and have not been repaired since.
SIT WITH CONSTITUENTS
If such an allocation was available to the constituency, Mr.Golding said there would not be a difficulty to acquire the necessary money to carry out the well-needed repairs. He added that if the money were made available it would mean that MPs and constituents would be able to plan in advance, the development of constituencies.
Noting that not all that is needed to be done in each constituency could be done at the same time, the Opposition Leader said at least the Members of Parliament would be guaranteed a certain amount of funds each year and that they would be able to sit with constituents to make plans for the spending of the funds on meaningful projects to improve their lives.
"The rules that we are setting up to manage those funds allocated do not allow him (MP) to just sit down with a pencil in him ear to pencil out that money. Him must go and meet with the people in the constituency. Him must sit down with them and say: 'Look, this is the amount of money we have to spend.' And ask them the question: 'What do you think is the most urgent thing in your district?'" said Golding.
Mr. Golding said if there was to be improvement in the quality of life of Jamaicans, fundamental changes would have to be made in the system of governance. He stated that for example, the way in which taxes are collected and then allocated for use needs to be changed.
"They collect the taxes from you up here. The taxes go to Kingston, it is shared up in Kingston and only little crumbs come back to you out here. It is wrong and it is unjust," said the Opposition Leader.
