$700-million price tag - Massive pay cheques for Holness-led government

Some Jamaicans are reacting with fury to the revelation that Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and his executive team will cost taxpayers nearly $700 million every year.

Holness leads a 33-member executive, which includes a 19-member cabinet. In addition, there are 13 junior ministers and one parliamentary secretary.

Based on the salary scale for parliamentarians, the combined salary bill for Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his executive team was revealed to be an eye-watering $698.8 million a year.

"Dem a trick Jamaicans because poor people haffi slave fi pay tax and pay dem," a frustrated taxi operator told THE STAR.

Holness is set to take home a staggering $28.5 million or $2.38 million every month. It is unclear whether he will accept the huge salary package. In 2023, Holness declined the 214 per cent increase in his salary and opted to continue receiving his $9.1 million salary.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang collects more than $2.14 million or $25.7 million for the year.

The Minister of Finance earns just over $24.5 million per year or $2.04 million each month, each Cabinet Minister pockets almost $1.9 million, Ministers of State walk away with $1.52 million, and even the lone Parliamentary Secretary earns $1.42 million per month.

The contrast with the average worker is stark. Jamaica's minimum wage stands at $16,000 per week, or roughly $52,000 per month, meaning that the prime minister's salary is approximately 34 times more than the lowest-paid worker in the country.

A Cabinet minister earns 27 times more than a minimum wage earner, while a parliamentary secretary, the lowest rung of the political executive ladder, earns more than 20 times the minimum wage.

Michael Lewis, a Kingston vendor, lamented the struggles of ordinary Jamaicans to provide for their families. He said that even with the increase in the minimum wage to $16,000 per week, effective June, persons are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

"A whole heap a people can't even afford food outta the supermarket with that while politicians are living off $2 million and over per month," Lewis said.

Holness has said his government will move the minimum wage to $18,500 per week next year, and then increase it incrementally over the next several years until it gets to $32,000 per week.

Community activist Danielle Moy argued that the parliamentarian salaries tell only part of the story.

"Politicians already get concessions, duty waivers, official vehicles and pensions. Those extras mean the big salaries are just gravy. Taxpayers are being pressured to fatten the pockets of the rich while ordinary Jamaicans can hardly breathe," Moy said.

"If the state values public service, pay public servants and and stop squeezing the poor," she said.

Holness was last week sworn in as prime minister of Jamaica for a third consecutive time, after leading his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to a 35-28 seat win over the People's National Party (PNP) in the September 3 general election. Only five members of the JLP who won seats in that election were not rewarded with ministerial seats or key appointments in the House of Representatives. They are Marlene Malahoo-Forte (St James West Central), Everald Warmington (St Catherine South West), James Robertson (St Thomas West), Duane Smith (St Andrew North West) and Andrew Morris (St Elizabeth North West).

The nearly $700 million per year salary bill come on the heels of a massive pay hike in 2023, when the political class awarded themselves increases of more than 200 percent. At the time, the government defended the move as necessary to attract talent and reward responsibility.

The disgruntled cabbie has taken issue with the use of the word 'earn' to reference the salaries for the parliamentarians.

"Dem caah say dem earn it, cause dem nuh do nothing fi we," he said. "Even if dem a work, that just way too much fi collect from poor people. The pay they get should be in line with what the people are earning, not hike up while minimum wage crawl," the taxi man said.

Lewis is adamant that Jamaicans should get tangible benefits for the mega salaries being paid to the political class.

"If politicians a go collect millions, dem better show we the value. Otherwise, cut it down and put the money where it really matters," he reasoned.

Based on the salary scale for parliamentarians, the Leader of the Opposition is compensated at the same level as the deputy prime minister, with a salary of $25,729,103.

The Speaker of the House is paid $22,807,314, and the Deputy Speaker collects $17,152,736.

Members of Parliament each take home $14,179,595 per year.