JAMAICA-BUDGET-Reactions to PM budget presentation

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Leader of the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness has praised Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller for what he says is a level of maturity in promising to consider suggestions from the opposition concerning the 2013/2014 budget. During her contribution to the debate on the J$531 billion (One Jamaica dollar = US$0.01 cents) budget on Tuesday, Prime Minister Simpson Miller said in the interest of democracy, her administration has welcomed all suggestions placed on the table by Holness, the former prime minister. However Holness said that for the most part, the Prime Minister’s presentation, in which she announced a number of initiatives, including rewarding public sector workers with incentives through the National Housing Trust (NHT), was “uninspiring.”