Minister of Finance and the Public Service
The Restructuring of Public Sector Compensation
Kingston, Jamaica: Wednesday, May 4, 2021
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, announced today that the Government of Jamaica (“GOJ”) Energy Co-Pay Programme is now effective and will be reflected in customers’ monthly JPS Bills, starting in May 2022 for 4-months.
Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding between the GOJ and the Jamaica Public Service (“JPS”) signed this week, the GOJ will pay a portion of the residential electricity bills for JPS customers who consume 200 kWh of electricity or less per month, over the four-month period of April 2022 to July 2022.
Minister Clarke first announced the programme during his closing budget presentation in March of this year, where he highlighted the Government’s commitment to cushion the impact of higher electricity prices, directly caused by higher global oil prices, on the most vulnerable in society. The Energy Go-Pay Programme is estimated to cost the GOJ J$2.0 billion, and to directly benefit 379,000 households.
Dr. Clarke noted, “The overwhelming majority of households in Jamaica consuming less than 200 kWh, consist of hardworking people on smaller incomes, and we are concerned that they are more adversely affected by the higher energy prices. This programme, similar to all our social assistance programmes and policies, is therefore designed to prioritise and target their needs. We thank JPS for their support in this implementation.”
This benefit for qualifying customers is automatic and does not require applying.
For further information on the programme or qualifying terms for pre-paid customers, please contact JPS Customer Care.
For more information contact:
Corporate Communication & Public Relations Branch
Ministry of Finance and the Public Service
30 National Heroes Circle
Kingston 4
Tel: (876) 932-4656/4660/4655
The Hon. Nigel Clarke, D.Phil., MP
Minister of Finance and the Public Service
30 National Heroes Circle, Kingston 4
Tel: (876) 932-4656 / 4660 / 4655
Eml: opedjamaica@gmail.com
Officers of the Revenue Protection Department (RPD), with assistance from the MajorOrganised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), last week, arrested and charged Rhemalee Wint-Lewis, Tax Auditor of the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) for breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke has announced that it is no longer necessary for the Government of Jamaica to provide support for the salaries of SSL staff members; an insurance claim made by the Temporary Manager of SSL in April of this year, to SSL’s insurers in England, has now been settled. SSL received the insurance payout of US$1 million on Thursday, September 7th, enabling SSL to settle the remainder of their August staff salary bill last week Monday, September 11.
Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings, today, September 13, 2023, upgraded the Government of Jamaica’s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) from ‘B+’ to ‘BB-’ with a stable
outlook.
The Financial Investigations Division (“FID”), is using the proceeds of assets confiscated under Jamaica’s proceeds of crime legislation to fund the extraordinary expenses it incurs in the SSL fraud investigation. These funds do not constitute tax revenue. These funds arise from the FID’s work in identifying, restraining, forfeiting and monetising the proceeds of crime. That is, these funds arise from the confiscation of ill-gotten gains.
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