WESTERN BUREAU:

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has hit hard at the Bruce Golding-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration for reneging on its promise to provide jobs, which was a focal point of the party's 2007 general election campaign.

Simpson Miller yesterday criticised the Government for what she described as its superficial ability to deliver on the promises it made, stating that hundreds of people were instead losing their jobs.

She was addressing a People's National Party National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Junction Guest House in St Elizabeth.

"The promises of creating jobs and more jobs has come back to haunt them, as the huge job cuts have resulted in default mortgages and loan payments. The people are crying out for help but the Government is not listening," said Simpson Miller.

No proactive step

She argued that the JLP was increasingly seeking to blame Jamaica's crisis on the global financial meltdown, and claimed this was not a true reflection of what has taken place.

"No proactive steps were taken to cushion the crisis Jamaica is now facing," Simpson Miller said. "Many of the problems being experienced are of their own making and cannot be blamed on the global crisis. Virtually every sector is in a predicament and it's only the poor and the disadvantaged who often pay the price."

She added: "In health for example, the promise of free health care has disappeared into being a cruel joke, as the sector has not been given the requisite resources to meet the needs of the growing list of patients."

Simpson Miller wants the Government to convene with business leaders to discuss and find ways of saving jobs.

"We are calling for transformation, management and leadership," she said.

"As a result, many of the problems we are now facing are the creation of this administration's inability to display the management acumen and decisive, inspirational and participatory leadership that is required."