Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke, says the upward adjustments in salaries for Members of Parliaments and Cabinet Ministers are about the future.
Dr. Clarke says the increases are not about providing benefits to the current crop of political leaders.
The Finance Minister announced the increases in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, which in some instances are nearly 2-hundred percent higher than the current pay scale.
For example, a Cabinet Minister’s salary will move from $6.8 Million currently for annual pay to nearly $23 million as of April 1 next year.
However, Dr. Clarke made it clear that this was not out of variance with other increases granted under the Compensation Restructuring Exercise and remains in line with pegs which have existed for nearly three decades.
Dr. Clarke says for Jamaica to move forward the country will need to attract the right people at the leadership level.
Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and the Public Service.
And Dr. Clarke says pensions for existing prime ministers will also increase with the pay rise announced on Tuesday
Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance, speaking Tuesday evening on Nationwide@5 with Cliff Hughes and Sayeed Bernard.
The Prime Minister’s pay is set to be increased from $9.1 million to over $22 million effective April 1, 2022.
