$25,000 bonus for public servants earning below $500,000

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan in his presentation this afternoon which closed off the debate on Budget 2017, announced that Government will be giving a one-off tax-free bonus of $25,000 for all public servants earning $500,000 and less.

The announcement came as a surprise to many.

During his presentation, the minister lamented the debate as “same old, same old”, noting that the comments coming from the other side of the house had nothing new to offer. He also outlined that several Opposition members who opposed the Government’s measures on tax raised items that already attract VAT to gain political mileage.

“With this budget, the awakening has begun. Starting today, our Government must become more efficient and effective” the minister told the house.

He noted that his administration “gave workers the same increases since coming to office, compared to that given by the PPP in five years.”

Defending the government’s position on Tax measures, the Finance Minister stated that the measures taken were recommended by the Tax Reform Committee. He also outlined several other taxes that were recommended but not taken up by the administration.