BRUCE GOLDING'S former party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), has urged him to lead a throw-in of the towel if the ruling party cannot find better alternatives to fund its $21.8-billion tax package which was announced Thursday.

"The NDM is calling on the Government to resign, call fresh elections or set up a special tax committee of patriotic Jamaicans since, obviously, they are in way over their heads and definitely need people of the best minds to lead us out of this quagmire," the party said in a release Friday.

The NDM said that Jamaica is in need of strong and decisive leadership and noted that it is prepared to put together "a government of national unity to rebuild and transform Jamaica".

Finance Minister Audley Shaw announced in Parliament that only rice and flour would be spared the impact of General Consumption Tax (GCT). His tax measures also included tax on light bills, increased tax on cigarettes and fuel, as well as an increase in the GCT rate from 16.5 per cent to 17.5 per cent.

The NDM called the tax package "harsh, cruel and stupid".

"The Movement views this tax package as an assault upon the working class Jamaicans, as draconian, insensitive and indicative of an unthinking, inept and oppressive Government".

Tax 'paper-chasing billionaires' instead

The NDM also sided with the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) and some analysts who have called for an imposition of a one-off cess on the profits of banks and people it refers to a "paper-chasing billionaires".

"The government, has confirmed that they are the 'rich man's' government by protecting the rich from the onslaught of this recession and placing the most vulnerable of the nation, who are already battered and bruised, to face the wrath of the fallout in the economy," the statement, which appeared above the name of chairman, Peter Townsend, read.

It is the second time this week that the NDM has thrown harsh jabs at Golding, who was its first president.

Michael Williams, the Movement's general secretary, told The Gleaner on Tuesday that Prime Minister Golding is a "sell-out" because, although he embraced NDM policies and spoke eloquently about them, he has not implemented any of them since his return to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).