Shadow Minister for Finance, Julian Robinson has repeated his call for the Government to remove the duties and taxes on electronic devices to give 240,000 students an opportunity to own a piece of equipment that is essential to them continuing their online education .
Robinson, who first made the call last June, three months after schools were shuttered when Jamaica confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 10 last year, repeated the call on last Thursday.
He was making his contribution to the 2021/22 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives.
The 240,000 students he referenced makes up 40 per cent of the approximately 600,000 students in the public school system. The latest survey by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) shows that many students are still without a laptop, tablet or smart phone that would allow them to continue their education online.
“We must address this crisis with alacrity,” Robinson told the House.
While the Government has said it is not in a position to forego the revenues, Robinson argued that to not do so would have far reaching consequences in the years ahead.
