‘Year of decision’
Holness touts achievements in appeal to voters
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2025 | 10:01 PMEdmond Campbell/Senior Parliamentary Reporter
Declaring that “this is the year of decision”, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made an impassioned appeal to the Jamaican electorate yesterday to join his administration “in writing the next chapter” as a general election looms in the months ahead.
Election fever has been building in the last several months, and political campaigning by both the governing Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party has been increasing to a crescendo as the next general election is constitutionally due by September.
In a near five-hour contribution to the 2025-2026 Budget Debate, setting out the achievements of his administration and rolling out a slew of ‘goodies’ beginning in the next financial year, Holness told the country that, for the first time, “a prospectus has been placed before you”.
Taking a swipe at the parliamentary opposition, the prime minister said he was not detailing a promise of what his administration intends to do but instead giving a dissertation of what the Government has done.
“For the first time, you have a rational basis on which to judge options. The choice of selecting a government is always an emotional one – sometimes it can be as emotional as your connection to a football team – but the consequence of supporting the wrong football team cannot compare to the anguish that you will suffer if you support the wrong government,” Holness said to thunderous applause from the Government benches in the House of Representatives.
“I have stood in this Parliament and given the history lesson of Jamaica’s economic experience – given you the information to make the rational decision,” Holness said.
“I urge every Jamaican in this year of decision to choose wisely, to choose rationally. I urge you as I close, choose Jamaica,” he said.
According to the prime minister, his Government has not made empty promises, indicating that “the Jamaican people know who has delivered for them. The Jamaican people know who has steered this country through crises and into prosperity. The Jamaican people also know that the work is not yet done”.
He urged Jamaicans abroad and at home to join his administration in writing the next chapter.
“My fellow Jamaicans, now more than ever, I am convinced that Jamaica’s best days are ahead of us,” he added.
He said that, in a decade, his Government has transformed Jamaica “from the brink of economic collapse into the strongest economy since Independence”.
Holness said his administration has “conquered the challenges of macro-economic stability and debt reduction”.
He said it was time for the country to build on the strong foundation that “we have created to focus on generating robust growth that would deliver more opportunities for all Jamaicans to pursue their God-given talent and fulfil their dreams and aspirations”.
Earlier, during his contribution to the debate, Holness announced an increase in minimum wage, stating that it would move from $15,000 to $16,000 per week, effective June 1, this year.
He also said his administration was introducing the $1-billion Solidarity programme which involves a one-time cash grant of $20,000 being given to 50,000 vulnerable Jamaicans who are not enrolled in the Programme for the Advancement Through Health and Education, social pension, National Insurance Scheme, or the Reverse Income Tax Credit.