JAMAICA's TAX BREAK PLAN : JLP supporters confident that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver on the Government’s income tax plan, PNP followers plan protest

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, April 15, 2016

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters yesterday expressed confidence that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver on the Government’s income tax plan with one women even pledging to sell her house and all earthly possessions to help make it a reality.

JLP Supporters

On the other hand, supporters of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) said that, while they are not confident that Holness could pull it off, they are holding him to his promise and are giving him the next three months to do so or they will be taking to the streets to protest.

The JLP, during the election campaign, had promised to remove income tax for individuals earning up to $1.5 million annually and had announced that it would become effective by April 1.

But, after the election, Finance Minister Audley Shaw announced that the funds that the new Government was planning to use were already used by the previous PNP Administration. Yesterday, during the Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at Gordon House in Kingston, jubilant JLP supporters who had gathered to cheer on their members of Parliament urged Jamaicans to be patient and not lose faith in Prime Minister Holness.

“It a go tek care ah; him a go tek care of it, cause a inna Coronation Market mi sell and mi see him come in deh and talk to the people. Wi have faith inna him,” said one woman who gave her name as Sonia.

“Well, the $1.5-million plan, I don’t have a problem with it because if the leader can’t go up to it I willing to sell out everything I have inna my house and help him to show how much I love the JLP. I willing to sell out everything,” said Celia James.

She, however, reminded Jamaicans that the tax relief would only apply to working people who are earning up to $1.5 million annually.

“I wasn’t working, so di $18,000 is not for me, and you have a lot of people who don’t understand that the $18,000 is not for me and dem. But some of dem jus a gwaan craven and gwaan like the $18,000 is for dem, but it is for the working class, and I am not working,” she said.

“That’s why I going to help Andrew by selling out my fadda dead lef’ land, my house, mi son goat dem, my kids dem, because I will make the sacrifice for the JLP by doing anything,” she said. more