Dear Editor,

While most would agree that current salaries paid to politicians are below par, the level of increases announced recently by Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke, as much as 200 per cent, was a lot to absorb in one sitting.

I think they should’ve spread the increases over five years. If we are going to pay salaries based on private sector norm, politicians, including the prime minister and leader of Opposition, should be held to similar standards, in terms of performance and accountability.

In US dollars (USD), the salaries paid to the prime minister and others seem reasonable, but most Jamaicans don’t earn USD salaries or pay bills in USD, even those working in industries like tourism which generates USD revenues.

Most ministers are underperforming and underachieving, many lack vision, energy, strategic skills, and general competence. Some are inexperienced, while others should’ve been retired years ago but continue to cling to the perks and privileges which come with the job. One minister is crude, yet he is allowed to sit in Parliament.

Salaries for mayors and parish councilors will be increased by 100 per cent, they must also be held accountable. The increases are the biggest in decades and will cost some $1.7 billion. Where did Government find the funds? Imagine if 50 per cent of these funds were invested to improve services and resources in public hospitals.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is now struggling in the polls. It wasn’t long ago he said that he had passed the stage of needing to win political popularity and favour. At the same time, he was asking the electorate not to abandon the Jamaica Labour Party. We expect that the backlash from these increases won’t boost his ratings.

More than 50 per cent of Jamaicans live below the poverty line in slums, and many are slaughtered daily due to crime, which is out of control. The massive salary increases seem out of sync with reality and what is considered moral and reasonable.

The country is pauperised and indebted; public service and infrastructure are underfunded and decaying, literally crumbling; and wait times in some agencies for basic services are unacceptable due to archaic systems and inefficient processes.

We’ve seen nurses, police, teachers, firemen, and doctors bare their souls fighting for a decent increase in their salaries, as little as 5-10 per cent.

When public sector workers and others demand more, they are labelled “greedy”. But parliamentarians can award themselves massive increases and appear puzzled by the level of distrust and disdain they get from the public.

Now is the time to hold them fully accountable. They should be let go immediately when they don’t perform at the expected standard.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com