Hylton Urges Growth Strategy as Sectoral Debate Turns to Cost of Living

Opposition Member of Parliament Anthony Hylton used his contribution to the 2026–27 sectoral budget debate to argue that macroeconomic discipline, while necessary, has not eased the daily strain on households facing higher food and fuel costs and wages that lag the cost of living.

Addressing the House, Hylton said many young professionals are questioning whether Jamaica still offers a future worth investing in, and that too many families are struggling to keep day-to-day stability. He told colleagues the central issue is not only whether the government can balance the books, but whether the economy is delivering prosperity people can feel.

"Jamaicans cannot eat fiscal credibility," Hylton said. "They cannot pay mortgages to macroeconomic statistics. And they cannot build businesses from press releases." He said citizens deserve more than stability management alone and need a serious national growth strategy aimed at resilience, opportunity, productivity, and long-term prosperity.

Drawing on the business parable Who Moved My Cheese?, he said change is inevitable and those who fail to adapt are left behind. As debate on the budget continues, he asked where the government's plan is to respond to shifts in the economic environment.

Hylton said his side would give a fair reading of the past decade of fiscal consolidation. Debt-to-GDP ratios have fallen, primary surpluses have been maintained, inflation management has improved, and macroeconomic stability has been real and hard-won. He said both administrations deserve measured credit for sustaining that discipline, given the sacrifices borne by the public.

But he stressed that stability is not development. It is only the base on which development must be built, and a stable foundation matters only if something transformative is built on top of it. After ten years, he said, the level of structural transformation Jamaica needs has not appeared.