OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding yesterday reiterated that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was wary of participating in a proposed parliamentary committee to examine possible approaches to the mounting oil crisis.Mr. Golding had said in Parliament on Thursday that the Opposition was "discomforted by a feeling that the real purpose of the Joint Select Committee might be to secure some consensus on hiking the tax on gas".
Such a gas hike, he said during his contribution to the 2005/2006 Budget Debate, could be introduced "ostensibly as a means of curbing consumption, but (be) really designed to reap a windfall for Government revenues."
Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, had proposed that the joint select committee examine the oil crisis during his budget debate presentation last week, after ignoring a recommendation from the Joseph Matalon-led Tax Policy Review Committee, that the gas tax be increased.
Yesterday Mr. Golding pointed out that the cost of oil had caused gas prices to increase drastically over the past year, but has yet to put a dent in fuel consumption.
On Thursday, however, the Opposition Leader said he would be willing to join the Government in examining the current energy policy and pursuing cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives.
REITERATED CONCERNS
During yesterday's post-Budget Debate press briefing, Mr. Golding also reiterated concerns raised in his budget presentation about the nation's commitments to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
Mr. Golding said that despite assurances from Information Minister Senator Burchell Whiteman, there are still fears that the Government's commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and GATS, will force it to give equal subsidies to all tertiary institutions, whether local or international, that provide services in the island as of 2008.
He argued that the Government would then either provide the subsidies and spread the funding for local universities thin, or cut subsidies from universities all together, leaving students battling to cope with overwhelming school fees.
Mr. Golding called on Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to clarify the issue.
- R.H.
