PLP Respond To OBA Budget Reply Statement
The OBA used their Budget reply to “attempt to obscure or belittle the progress being made by the PLP Government,” the PLP said, adding that it is “laughable” that the “big suggestion offered” is to raise work permit fees, an idea which “was rolled out by the Finance Minister last week and will become a reality this year.”
A spokesperson said, “The Opposition’s Budget Reply is enshrined in our laws and traditions. As a Party, the PLP respects the right of the Opposition to have their say on the government’s plans for the next fiscal year.
“Unfortunately, the OBA instead of using this platform to apologize for the added financial burden placed on Bermudians through their mismanagement of Caroline Bay, the austerity measures that led to crumbling schools and infrastructure, they used this platform to attempt to obscure or belittle the progress being made by the PLP Government.
- The facts are that that last year Bermuda experienced the strongest job growth in 13 years with 441 jobs created in Bermuda
- Underemployment in Bermuda is down
- Payroll tax for workers has been cut to its lowest levels ever
- Our hard line on electricity prices led to the first decrease in electricity bills in decades
- Investment in scholarships and grants to give our people greater access to higher education, professional certifications and apprenticeships are going up
“What is laughable is that the big suggestion offered by the OBA, based on media coverage, is to raise work permit fees. Unfortunately for them this idea was rolled out by the Finance Minister last week and will become a reality this year.
“Compare that to our vision for improving the lives of Bermudian families
- Healthcare reform to drive down the cost of healthcare for Bermudian families
- Creating competition to drive down the cost of groceries
- Introducing a living wage to ensure that no Bermudian that works a full time job has to struggle to make ends meet
- Maintaining a hard line on Electricity prices, making sure that they go down even more
“Much remains to be done, but we are making progress on our commitment to driving down the high cost of living and making life better for Bermudian families.”
I must admit that responding to the budget with a proposed rise in work permit fees is completely off the wall.
Read past the heading. There are many great proposals in their budget reply
What? OJ reading? That is laughable in itself.
This is purposeful misdirection by the PLP spokesperson. The PLP is simply increasing work permit fees thus making the overall cost of business more expensive.
What the OBA proposed was to off-set the total work permit fee increase (nationally) with an equal decrease in employer payroll tax (nationally).
Obviously, not all companies will be effected equally by this tax reform, but nationally the cost of doing business remains the same. The benefit, of course, comes from shifting the incentives. Bermudians are comparatively even cheaper to employ, companies are less punished for employing additional staff, Govt will earn more from work permits and will therefore need to prioritise processing them more efficiently.
Total BS!! Government gets their $ up front when you make the permit application not once it is approved!! Therefore they have no incentive to be more efficient quite the opposite!!!
It was a pretty crap response, although the statement reads better than the sound bites.
I would have continuously pointed out PLP failure, our do nothing know nothing Premier and his do nothing cog in the wheel finance minister. Lambast them for the “meh” do nothing budget while Bermuda crumbles.
Agree the OBA response just showed us how weak the party has become. I was hoping Nick Kemp would be the next leader.
The UBPoba is like a bad movie trying to get 5 stars, JET GATE Craig will save them. Lol
Jetgate? Is that really all you have? LMAO!
….that’s all you have to lead the OBA is more of a LMAO and Bermuda agrees lolololol
Are these clowns for real? 441 jobs? Where? Doing what?
Get Dilbert to answer that.
441 jobs in Fintech? I doubt it? I casino jobs? Nope.
I’m guessing Civil service jobs.
Well good thing they didnt promise 2000 jobs.
LMAO
Well good thing they didnt promise 2000 jobs.
LMAO
True, perhaps a foolish promise, however the OBA did stimulate the economy and stop the bleeding. Right now, we’re back to the PLP status quo of ineptitude and failure. An economy circling the drain.
Tell me, for how long do you think we can support an expanding civil service? Where is the revenue being generated? What’s providing liquidity in the local economy?
Until you can answer those basic questions, you really ought to STFU.
Can we get a breakdown of these number?
I don’t think it includes all the redundancies that have quietly happened in the last 12 months from all the mergers and acquisitions or the retail stores closing.
Where are the PLP plans to pay down the debt, balance the budget and create a surplus and stimulate the economy (not by hiring more civil servants? They are in power, not the OBA.
Provide a breakdown of where these 441 jobs were created between the private sector and Civil Service.
Creating competition to drive down grocery prices? How? By publishing the prices?
Driving down the cost of living? Payroll taxes may have been reduced for some, but overall taxation has increased for all.
Is this the best Jamahl can think of?
441 jobs, how many inflated the govt some more of that 441.
Clueless
How many of the 441 are airport and the new hotel construction? Jobs created by the OBA.
More and new taxes, increasing cost of living, increased debt, no balanced budget more government jobs, 200 jobs lost in retail, businesses closing, increased cost of private health insurance, missed government revenue and spending targets, lowest ever business confidence, no economic stimulous, retail in crisis, house prices going south, people leaving …. PLP must be living on a different planet to me!
It concerns me when anyone’s suggestions or opinions are considered ‘laughable’. We may not agree with each other, but, in the performance of any problem solving techniques, each person’s suggestions should be heard and respected. Brainstorming 101. The idea is to build each other up, not bring each other down.
Yet again the Government has kicked tax reform down the road ….
“The facts are that that last year Bermuda experienced the strongest job growth in 13 years with 441 jobs created in Bermuda”
You mean after the PLP Government of 2007-2008 drove more than 5,000 jobs out of Bermuda by taxing international businesses to death?
“Underemployment in Bermuda is down”
How can or has that been measured?
“Payroll tax for workers has been cut to its lowest levels ever”
And higher for employers!
“Our hard line on electricity prices led to the first decrease in electricity bills in decades”
So the Regulatory Authority is not independent, it is an arm of the Government made to look independent
“Investment in scholarships and grants to give our people greater access to higher education, professional certifications and apprenticeships are going up”
Yes, spending is up. Thank you for that.