Opposition leader Mark Golding on Wednesday (May 24) called for a 40 per cent increase in the income tax threshold which he says is ‘out of whack’ with the current cost of living in society.

In a press conference, Golding said that: “The income tax threshold needs to be increased. It was set in 2016 at $1.5 million. Since then, we’ve had over 40 per cent inflation. It needs to be significantly increased, give the working class a break, give workers a break.”

However, Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in a statement on Thursday (May 25) described the People’s National Party’s (PNP) call as ‘barefaced’, ‘vulgar’ and ‘hypocritical’ which seeks to undermine policy direction of the Government.

“In seeking to deceptively hijack the policy direction and intentions of the Jamaica Labour Party, the PNP is pretending to forget the Prime Minister and the JLP leader in a futuristic comment, which was reported in traditional media and online told Parliament, “It will be done”, in reference to another favourable revision upwards of the income tax,” the group said.

G2K added that the JLP administration of 2016 moved to increase the income threshold to $1.5 million in a bid to put more money in the pockets of Jamaicans, however, the PNP publicly bashed the move.

The group further noted that the government remains committed to pursuing policies which will enhance the spending power of Jamaicans.