'Poor people suffering in this country' – NDP radio caller
Yet more calls for help, and the pain, frustration and fear were heard in the voices of callers to last night’s January 19, 2015, National Democratic Party (NDP) radio call-in programme. They called for jobs and for the setting up of a body that would look into the affairs of the poor – A Consumer Affairs Protection Agency.
“Prices for fuel, the price is under $50 a barrel and when the price go up to like a $100 a barrel we would be paying like $8 a gallon. Why don’t we have like a consumer affairs protection agency for the poor people?” asked a caller to the NDP radio programme.
The caller said that this should not be for taxi drivers only. “This is for the ordinary people who driving their private vehicle around.”
“Why don’t somebody in the NDP come out and lookout for us poor people, they charging too much money for the fuel. When the fuel goes up 10 cents in the States (USA) it goes up 50 cents here. Somebody needs to look into it,” insisted the caller.
“Poor people are suffering in this country, NDP needs to get a consumer affair protection office to protect the poor people… when is somebody going to look into this cost for fuel… under $50 per barrel and paying this exorbitant amount of money for fuel?” he wailed.
“We need a consumer affairs for the people. When you go to the supermarket the people charging you what they want, we ain’t got nobody to cry out to, we are suffering, the rich people doing good, the poor people suffering, people are charging you what they want,” the caller stressed.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D Orlando Smith in sombre tones said such matters lie with the Trade and Investment Department. “We’ve been also speaking as a government and the past government of course, of a consumer protection agency and this is something again we’ll be looking at seriously….”
The NDP was also cornered on their radio programme last night on another issue first brought to the public forefront just yesterday January 19, 2014 where persons, especially young BVIslanders have been complaining bitterly about the sorry state of promised job opportunities at the new Peebles Hospital.
“You know you have to give your own people a chance, you have to give them two chances or three… a lot of BVIslanders complained that they applied for jobs and they haven’t gotten a response and there are other people getting jobs,” said the caller.
He further said that it is not his expectation that others would be ignored totally but, according to him, “You got to take care of your own first. So Honourable Skelton please look into it.”
The Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Ronnie W. Skelton to whom the caller had been referring said on the show that the issue has been brought to his attention and, according to him, has begun to take measures to have the concerns addressed.
“I have asked for an analyst for all the people employed, both nurses, we are trying to encourage nurses who go overseas to come home. I know that some when they come there are difficulties but we encourage doctors, nurses, we have people out there studying to take up some key positions…but I am willing to address these concerns,” said Hon Skelton.
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