A widening of the $20,000 tax give-back programme, reduction of General Consumption Tax (GCT) on electricity, a write-off for some National Water Commission (NWC) customers, and a waiver of fees for craft vendors were among the goodies announced by Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Prime Minister Andrew Holness as he made the case on Sunday for his party to be given a third term in Government.

Delivering the main address at the public session of the JLP’s 81st Annual Conference at the National Arena, Holness declared that the measures he announced were not just promises.

“The Jamaican people can see that it is one thing to listen to a bag-a-mouth and a bag-a-promise, but nothing that I have said here is a promise. All of what I have said here is happening, about to happen, or will happen shortly,” said Holness as he closed the JLP’s final annual conference before the next general election due by September next year.

“Jamaica today is a different place from Jamaica 10 years ago, and I am very pleased to be with you on the journey in transforming Jamaica. Yes, there are still challenges; yes, there are still hardships; yes, we see that there are inequities…but it depends, my friends, on the perspective you take.

“If you take the view that the glass is half empty, then you are looking at the bottom, your head is cast down. But if you take the view — like all Labourities, optimistic, positive, prospecting — that the glass is half full, then you are looking upwards,” said Holness as he argued that the Government is filling up the glass rapidly.

“And now we are turning our attention to ensure that it overflows for you. Jamaica is in such a different place that, for the first time, a party leader can make a speech to his conference, to his supporters, and only barely mention the other people, the Opposition [People’s National Party].

“We are not in a fight with them; they are not in our league, we not running any race with them; we have too many things to show. We have the achievements. For the first time ever a Government can campaign on what it has achieved, a Government can campaign on showing the people what will come, not empty promises. If you were to ask yourself who is capable of delivering the future that you want, then it must be the Jamaica Labour Party,” declared Holness to loud cheers from the thousands of Labourities inside and outside the arena.

In a wide-ranging, but unusually short address, Holness reiterated his Administration’s push to cut the bureaucratic red tape which he said has been slowing developments and growth in the economy.

Holness then outlined a list of goodies, starting with a widening of the group of Jamaicans who qualify for the recently introduced $20,000 reverse income tax credit.

According to Holness, when payment is made this week it will increase to just over 290,000 the number of Jamaicans to receive this cash back.

He noted, however, that there is a set of people not captured in the give-back as they are not registered anywhere in the Government’s system.

Holness said starting next February the Government will begin accepting applications from these people, who will be subjected to a needs assessment and if they qualify they will also get $20,000.

The prime minister also announced that after the budget is presented next March, GCT on electricity will be reduced from 15 per cent to seven per cent as the Government moves to reduce electricity cost, which is a significant burden for many Jamaicans.

He added that the Government will remove the non-tax threshold on electricity bills and replace it with a rebate for people who use 200 megawatts or less of electricity per month.

“This will allow the roll-out of prepaid electricity purchase which was implemented many years ago but has remained only a pilot… Now the JPS [Jamaica Public Service] will be required to roll out prepaid meters nationally, particularly in vulnerable communities,” said Holness.

He also told the conference that JPS will be required to introduce time of day pricing of electricity, which will allow its customers to determine when they use electricity so that they can benefit from lower prices.

Turning to the water challenges facing residents of several communities, Holness said his Administration will be moving quickly to bring the commodity to communities which are underserved while making it easier for people to connect in those communities where water is available.

In addition, an amnesty will be introduced for some people who have been disconnected by the NWC because of unpaid bills.

“For persons who have been disconnected from the NWC water supply for debts two years or more outstanding, who are pensioners, or who have been assessed as being in need…the NWC will write off the total debt that is owed. In addition to that, we will waive the reconnection fee.

“This is aimed at giving relief to those persons who are suffering from weighty bills, particularly those who have had major leaks in the house and they just can’t pay,” added Holness.

The prime minister pointed out that this amnesty will start on January 2, 2025 and will last for three months. He added that other NWC customers disconnected for more than six months, who visit the company and make an arrangement to pay, will receive a 50 per cent or higher discount on their debt.

Turning to the burden of the cost of public transportation for students, Holness admitted that the bus fare subsidy offered by the State is unfairly skewed against those in the rural Jamaica.

He declared that his Government will fix the problem once and for all and ensure that all students benefit from reduced transportation cost.

“By mid-next year, 100 more buses will be added to the [Jamaica Urban Transit Company] fleet and a significant portion will be used to establish new routes to urban townships in rural areas, thereby giving more Jamaicans, particularly students, access to subsidised public transport.

On the recent protest by workers in the tourism sector over wages and other issues, Holness said the Government will do its part to facilitate negotiations and to ease the cost-of-living burden on the workers while favourably examining the relief of taxes on tips with a final announcement to be made in the next budget.

“I have noted the concerns of other stakeholders in the industry, particularly those stakeholders in our craft markets who were badly affected by fall-off in cruise visitors. To lighten the burden that they face, the Government will waive fees for all craft vendors in Government-owned craft markets for the months of December and January, and write off any outstanding fees owed by craft vendors.

“This is designed to ease the economic burden on the craft vendors and give them a head start in the winter tourism season,” said Holness.

He added that for craft vendors in Ocho Rios, St Ann, who were hard hit by the damage to the cruise ship pier, the waiver of their fees will extend until June next year when the pier is set to reopen.

“I also want to announce that next year we will begin the Tourism Worker/New Social Housing Programme, whereby the Government of Jamaica, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund and hotel owners and operators, will partner to build social housing solutions for assessed workers in the sector,” said Holness.

Labourities swarm the vehicle carrying JLP Leader Prime Minister Andrew Holness into the Stadium Complex for his address to the party’s annual conference on Sunday. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

A section of the massive crowd at the public session of the JLP’s 81st annual conference at the National Arena on Sunday (Photo: Karl Mclarty)