Opposition Leader Mia Mottley says Barbadians continue to feel the strain of a worsening economy, the latest pinch coming in the form of how their homes have been appraised by the land tax department.

She was speaking at a meeting at the Lawrence T. Gay Primary School in Spooners Hill Sunday.

Ms Mottley says Barbadians are now facing heavy increases in land taxes at a time when people are unable to bear the burden.

She said large numbers of people have already filed appeals to the land tax department after receiving their valuation notices.

According to Ms. Mottley the last administration took a decision to adjust the land tax bands, this for example would have seen land taxes exemptions moving to the first 150 thousand up from 125 thousand.

She indicated that there was also a promise to review the tax situation when the new valuations came in.

Ms. Mottley believes the impact on businesses could also lead to the loss of more jobs. She also charged that the Prime Minister was consumed with focusing on putting the DLP first and was not looking after issues like job security.

She says she has seen no word from government on rumours that Cable and Wireless could sever thousands of workers and that a large number of employees from Rayside Construction Limited could also be on the breadline.

She also complained that work at the Urban Development Commission has ground to a halt.

According to Ms. Mottley while they were problems at the UDC, the fact that it is not functioning is an insult to people in St. Michael, Christ Church and St. James, where over a thousand people have benefitted from land at $2.50 cents per square foot, water borne facilities and house repairs..