PLP slaps price tag on OBA plan

FRIDAY, OCT. 26: Opposition plans to boost Bermuda’s flagging economy would cost $500m over five years, PLP Senator David Burt said yesterday.

And Sen. Burt added that OBA plans to spend more, cut taxes and grow the economy did not make sense.

He said: “The OBA says that they can increase spending, cut taxes and reduce the debt – but their fairy tale promises don’t add up.”

Sen. Burt said the $500 milliion, which would be spent over five years, was arrived at after looking at current Budget estimates and expenditure.

He was speaking after the OBA on Tuesday released a pre-election mini-manifesto outlining their plans in areas like the economy, crime and education if they win at the polls.

Sen. Burt said: “If the Opposition is really serious about debt reduction, they need to tell the people what they are going to cut.

“They need to tell the Bermudian people the truth about their plans.”

Silent

And he said the OBA had been “silent” about the future of health care programme Future Care for seniors and day care for pre-school children.

Sen Burt added that Government had committed itself to “maintaining spending at current levels” for the next three years.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Patrice Minors said there was a concentration on bad news, rather than good news.

And she pointed to Government training programmes, like a waiter-server training scheme, which is due to take another intake, and an overseas course to train construction workers, as examples of Government job creation.

She also said that Economic Empowerment Zones had helped back new business start-ups with financial assistance.

Ms Minors added: “In the OBA document, there isn’t one thing in there about job training. With the doom and gloom the OBA is preaching, I wonder if they have ever been into the Economic Empowerment Zone and talked to these businesses.”

Ms Minors added that some of the OBA proposals – like payroll tax breaks for employers – had already been introduced by the PLP in areas like retail and hotels and restaurants.

And she signalled that PLP would further revise work permit policy “in a small way” to help boost both business and employment for Bermudians.

Ms Minors, however, declined to comment on whether the debt ceiling would be raised in the future: “That’s a question that is best answered by the Minister of Finance and I’m not going to attempt to delve into a remit which is not mine.”