Jamaica: Govt increases national minimum wage to $15000 per week
Wednesday, 27th March 2024

- Increased the National Minimum Wage from $5,600 (2015); to $6,200 (2016);to $7000 (2018); to $9000 (2022); to $13,000 (2023) and now to $15,000 (2024) per 40 hours work week.
- Created the Social Pension Programme and increased it by 65%.
- Introduced the HOPE for Children Trust Fund to ensure every Jamaican child can get a financial start on reaching adulthood to break the cycle of generational poverty.
- Removed the guarantor requirement for student loans and have allocated $200 million to help over 1,000 students with tertiary education fees.
- Removed fees from HEART and created the LIFT Programme, and now the CARE programme ( providing trainees with job placements, stipends, grants, driving lessons, etc)
- Built a record number of low-income houses through the NHT, increased the loan amounts while decreasing interest rates and created the Social Housing Programme, under which over 200 houses have been built.
- Allocated $20 billion under the SPARK programme to focus on community roads.
- Allocated $11.5 billion dollars in the budget to build or upgrade four hospitals at the same time, which never happened before in Jamaica.
- Allocated $1.9 billion to continue the construction of classrooms and sanitary facilities, electrical upgrading, installation of sewage treatment facilities and installation of security fencing at numerous schools.
- The Government has not imposed any new taxes on the people of Jamaica for nine(9) consecutive budgets.
Monika Walker is an experienced journalist specializing in global political developments and international relations. With a keen eye for accuracy and analysis, Monika has been reporting for over a decade, bringing stories to light that matter to readers around the world. She holds a degree in International Journalism and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities through factual reporting.
Latest
- Antigua: Brother of UPP MP Algernon Watts dies at KFC drive-...
-
Guyana: 18-year-old ‘Hammer’ charged with murder of 16-year-... -
Jamaican-British Actor Michael Ward charged with multiple se... -
Trinidad and Tobago flash floods: Firefighters save man clin... -
Lucian Carnival 2025: Global Celebrities and Influencers shi...