Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, addresses the audience at a floral tribute for late former Prime Minister, Hugh Lawson Shearer, held at National Heroes Park on May 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. (Photo: JIS)
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says with the salary adjustments announced for the political directorate under the new public sector compensation regime, there will be greater interest in the political field.
“Everyone who is occupying a political office ought to be thinking very carefully that I need to increase my political performance, because there are many young people out there now who have started to look at entering the political field with higher educational qualifications, higher skill level, and higher competencies,” he said.
The prime minister was speaking at a floral tribute ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the late former Prime Minister, Hugh Lawson Shearer’s birth on May 18 at National Heroes Park in Kingston.
“You are going to see, as a result of this increase, an improvement in the level of entrants coming into the political field. You’re also going to see an improvement in the existing occupants of the posts, because they have to now step up their game,” Holness said.
Holness reiterated the Government’s stance that the adjustments are necessary to attract and retain talent.
“We continue to lose the potential that this country produces every year because the wage level is low. This Administration recognized that, and we have taken a decision to increase by over $100 billion the wage bill, and everybody is lifted,” Holness noted.
He said that Cabinet agonized over how to conduct the compensation review.
“It is not yesterday that the country, including those who are critical, have been calling for a compensation review. We know and respect the sensitivities over salaries,” Holness said.
“We sat in the Cabinet, and we agonized whether or not we should even take any increase. We agonized over it; it’s not something that we took lightly, because we know that there are persons who will try to make political fodder over it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Holness emphasized that there is need for a new parliament building.
“We need a new parliament; a country like Jamaica, we don’t have a parliament that we can all be proud of. If you try to build one, you are going to hear, ‘well, you could have used the money to build primary schools… ignoring the importance of ensuring that the core engine of your Government can work efficiently. It is through that, that you get greater deliberation and policies, you get greater oversight of policies, and you get greater effectiveness,” Holness said.
Holness said his Administration has taken on several nation-changing activities.
“We have taken on crime, massive investments in the police force. We are so proud of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to see what they [are doing] and the transformation that is happening. We are taking on education… we are taking on order in public places and we are taking on Constitutional Reform,” the Prime Minister added.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the deputy prime minister’s pay will move from the current $8.031 million as at April 2021, to $20.099 million effective April 2022, and $22.7 million with effect from April 2023, then increase to $25.729 million effective 2024.
Meanwhile, the finance minister’s salary is being bumped up from the current $7.440 million as at April 2021, to $19.206 million effective April 2022, then to $21.7 million effective April 2023, after which it will increase to $24.585 million effective April 2024.
The Opposition leader’s existing salary of $8.031 million will increase to $20.099 million effective April 2022, moving to $22.740 million effective April 2023, after which it will increase to $25.729 million effective April 2024.
Cabinet ministers will continue to earn $52.00 more than the maximum salary of permanent secretaries, moving from $6.893 million in 2021, to $17.866 million effective April 2022, and $20.214 million effective April 2023, then move to $22.87 million effective April 2024.
Permanent secretaries (level 15) salaries will go from $17.8 million, effective April 2022 to $20.214 million effective April 2023, then move to $22.870 million effective April 2024.
Following the announcement, Robinson noted that the Opposition takes “no issue” with the salary increase but urged the government to urgently address “discrepancies” in salaries for civil servants who have been granted increases “so that everyone can benefit from the new compensation package.
“But we take no issue,” Robinson reiterated.
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