By: Daneilla McLaughlin

September 20, 2023

“Time Come Now To Break The Chains.” PNP Ready To Win Election.

President of the People’s National Party(PNP) and opposition leader, Mark Golding announced his plan to rescue Jamaicans from “labour pains” at the 85^th staging of the Annual Conference on Sunday.

Golding promises to tackle the challenges that are plaguing the education system and the tourism industry. He said Jamaicans “cannot move forward without a government built on integrity, that embraces principles of good governance.”

In his speech, he announced education & training will be the number one priority of the People’s National Party.

 “The People’s National Party believes that investing in the development of our people is the key to economic and social transformation. The next PNP administration will invest in the development of the capacities of people,” he promised.

PNP will prioritize early childhood development and superior primary school education. Golding states his administration will not accept the estimated 30 per cent of children that are graduating primary schools illiterate. He is dissatisfied with  the estimated 50 per cent that lack basic numeracy skills. His administration is prepared to fight against Illiteracy and innumeracy which he describes as “a recipe for backwardness, underdevelopement and poverty.” “Bun that. The PNP nuh Inna that,” he exclaimed.

He expressed that it means every year, thousands of children enter high schools lacking the skills necessary to  understand and complete  the syllabi. Golding also insinuated the students’ impossibility to be proficient in five CSEC subjects including English and Math; which causes low self-esteem, frustration and anxiety, “feelings that lead too many youths into badness and criminal activity.” He argued, the deficits in education and training make investors disregard Jamaica which prevents wealth creation. Illiteracy is one of the most significant sources of Jamaica’s problems, he explained.

The administration  pledges to initiate training partnerships between the state's training institutions and private sector companies. This will address the shortage of workers, which is becoming a major factor in the underinvestment of the economy, he said.

 Regarding tertiary students, the administration will eliminate the need for a guarantor of student loans. Golding  asserted, many students from low income families  struggle to pay student loans. The administration will also introduce a new  legislation which sets monthly payments to a manageable amount.

The Golding- led administration will  revamp the tourism sector. The administration will provide incentives to hotels  which will integrate the business models with the local community and the Jamaican economy. The  ministry will also work with stakeholders to implement a progressive beach access policy. This will include partnering with investors to secure appropriate rights of access for the public.

“I stand firm in leading our party in our mission of social and economic transformation to a better Jamaica for all our people,” Golding proclaimed.

Thousands of comrades expressed confidence in the Mark Golding-led administration on Sunday as they marched into the National Arena wearing orange. They had, “Go With Golding” and “PNP fi life” printed on their shirts. Some Jamaicans compare the  crowd to a scintillating sun  while others describe it as an intense fire.

“Time Come Now. Better must come under Mark Jefferson Golding,” General Secretary of the People’s National Party, Dayton Campbell lamented.