KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer- IT'S heavy — this $16 billion in new taxes being imposed on us by the Government. There is no doubt either that it will hurt most Jamaicans. After all, many of us, particularly PAYE workers, are already overtaxed. The fact, though, is that the Government has little choice, having participated in unrestrained borrowing and irresponsible fiscal policy of successive Administrations that have taken us to this sorry point in our history, with a debt of more than 140 per cent of gross domestic product. Take, for instance, the current Administration's reckless ballooning of the public sector wage bill by engaging the services of so many consultants. Last year it emerged that eight Cabinet ministers had employed a total of 40 consultants and executive or personal assistants at close to $100 million in salaries annually.
