Jadine Dacres - photos by Rudolph Brown/Photographer

Students of the University of Technology (UTech) have put forward a continued reduction in budgetary support for tertiary education and the slashing of waste in public-sector entities as some of ways in which the Bruce Golding administration could cut spending this fiscal year.

In anticipation of the Government's tabling of the Supplementary Estimates in Parliament today, the students at a Gleaner-UTech forum argued, haggled and debated which programmes could be slashed by a government desperate to reduce its spending to reflect the reduction in its revenue. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has warned that most areas of the Budget will be cut, with health, education, national security and programmes designed to protect the poor the only ones likely to escape.

Against that background, the UTech students and their lecturer, Randell Berry took on the task of cutting the expenditure with enthusiasm, but they struggled to reduce a $555-billion budget which, when adjusted for inflation, was already five percentage points below what was spent by the Government last year.

Cut the civil service, close the ministry of tourism, downsize the ministry of youth, sports and culture, reduce the expenditure on electricity bills, cut the subsidy on fees for students at the tertiary level, cut the Cabinet, bite the political bullet and reintroduce fees for students in secondary schools. These were some of the many suggestions from the students.

Cut inefficiency

Jadine Dacres, a final-year student, was among those who suggested that cutting the government's wage bill should be a priority.

"There are just too many public-sector employees and too many government departments operating inefficiently," Dacres argued.

She was supported by fellow final-year student, Sheldon Clarke, who posited that there were too many unproductive workers in the public sector.

"I would cut between 15 and 18 per cent as the wage bill is just too high," declared Clarke.

Painful fallout

However, that position did not get wide support as other students argued that the fallout could be painful.

"You don't have any family member who works in the public sector!" one student quipped.

"While I understand where you are coming from, if you cut the public sector with the economic recession happening now, where are they going to get jobs? There is no work in the private sector," said Chamal Bethel, an international student studying at UTech.

"If you cut the public sector, you are going to reduce the income tax which the Government collects at a time when the country needs the money," Bethel added.

"That is a difficult question, but we are between a rock and a hard place, so we must cut," responded Clarke.

"We can go on and on about the impact of cutting the Budget, but the fact of the matter is that we will have to cut. How we go about where we are cutting from is a problem, but it must be about how it impacts the Budget so, since the wage bill is a major spending, we must cut it," Dacres argued.

There was a similar verbal battle over a proposal, from Kerryleon Powell, for the Government to reduce the subsidy it pays for students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and UTech.

"That would put us back to a time when only the rich could attend university," declared one student in strident disagreement.

"It would be better if the government creates a contract and bonds students so they have to work back for the country when they graduate and not just migrate," the female student added.

While the students seemed tempted to side with the proposal to reintroduce tuition fees at the secondary level, they agreed that the political fallout could prove too great for the Golding government.

"If they reintroduce school fees, that would be to their political detriment," declared Aldane Pennant.

"The Government needs to restructure or cut the agencies because there is too much duplication and waste," added Powell.

"Why don't we cut the Jamaica Defence Force?" questioned one student, sparking another firestorm.

That would save the country approximately $9 billion each year but, with the nation's level of crime, it was a proposal which found little support.

"I know where we are in terms of cutting the Budget, but we must take into consideration the ripple effect. When the Government cuts its expenditure in an economy which has been depressed for years, what will be the long-term impact?" Berry asked in a closing note that Golding and Shaw could well consider.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com

Nevon Brown

You talk about (university graduates) migrating and cutting the subsidy, but when we finish this course, where are the jobs? I have friends who have graduated with their degree for two years and they still have no jobs.

Sheldon Clarke

Public-sector wages are way too high. Workers in Government are unproductive and there is duplication of roles and duties. I think the public sector should be cut anywhere between 15 and 18 per cent. People are going to suffer, but as they say, you have to look for the greatest good for the majority, or we all are going to suffer in the long run.

Aldane Pennant

It is a very heavy burden on the Government to pay so much money for tertiary education, secondary schools and free health care. They should roll back the school fees for secondary education and cut the number of persons working in the public sector.

Kerryleon Powell

Energy conservation in government agencies must be considered and examined and, although it might seem insignificant, the savings that we would get over the long term might be very substantial. The Government cannot really afford to subsidise tertiary-level fees. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs could be downscaled and some key functions integrated under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and also the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports. I don't see where an entire ministry dedicated to sports is needed.

Randell Berry

I know where we are in terms of cutting the Budget, but we must take into consideration the ripple effect. When the Government cuts its expenditure in an economy which has been depressed for years, what will be the long-term impact?

Joseph Reid

If the Government cuts the public sector, they are also going to hurt, because these people pay PAYE.

Lisandra Bartley

The Government needs to link the system so that it can target persons who are not paying their taxes. If the Government cuts the allocation for tertiary education, it must make sure that there are sources for persons to get assistance through, or the poorer students are going to suffer.

Chamal Bethel

I understand where you are coming from, but if you cut the public sector, wouldn't that hurt the country? If you cut the government jobs these people have no place to go.

Jadine Dacres: I would cut approximately 10 per cent from the public sector. What is happening is that the Government is spending way too much on areas where it can reduce. We have way too many workers in the public sector doing very little.