Moneague, St. Ann, November 29, 2011: People's National Party (PNP) Shadow Minister of Youth, Lisa Hanna says the treatment meted out to the National Youth Council (NYC) by the Government in unilaterally cancelling the organisation's youth congress, is further demonstration of the Andrew Holness-led Administration's contempt for, and disrespect towards, Jamaica's youth.

"For the Minister of State for Youth Warren Newby to take this unfortunate decision on political grounds in youth month is a slap in the face for the country's young people, who comprise more than half of the population," Ms. Hanna said in statement today.

The PNP spokesperson said the decision was the latest in a long list of actions taken by the JLP-led government to emasculate institutions which serve the young people of Jamaica. She pointed out that the National Centre for Youth Development is being quietly but systematically dismantled by the administration and government grants to youth organisations have been drastically cut or discontinued.

"The National Youth Service, introduced by a Government led by the PNP, has also been scaled down by the Government, and its budget has been cut by more than 60 per cent," Ms. Hanna said.

She adds that apart from being born after Independence, Prime Minister Holness has not demonstrated any proven commitment to the nation's youth, but has instead now shown utter contempt and disrespect to Jamaica's the more than 1.5 million young citizens.