Earlier today, the United Progressive Party released a statement in response to the proposal by Government in yesterday’s Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, to increase bus fares.
The following is the statement in its entirety:
The conditions associated with IMF endorsed economic recovery programmes always includes a component of staff cuts in the public service and bus fare adjustments. So the intention to implement an increase in fares comes as no surprise to the United Progressive Party.
All Members of Parliament can hang their head in shame for endorsing this proposed burden on the already suffering average citizen. Since coming to office the Mottley administration has only given Barbadians increased taxation resulting in a higher cost of living. Such an increase will place yet another massive burden on the poorest, many of whom have just been laid off by this BLP Administration. This while tax payers continue to endure the cost of a larger government and its consultants.
Public transportation is considered a critical service in every country, including Barbados. The cycle of economic deterioration cannot be remedied in any way by inflicting additional costs on our people.
The government still has not identified measures to grow and improve our economic conditions which is actually the solution to the woes of the nation. The loans which have been signed off thus far have only served to plug the leaks but not build measurable capacity.
This scorched earth approach to reducing deficit where the poorest are suffering the most augurs ill for national development.
Wayne Griffith is the Public Relations Officer of the UPP.
