Poll: Most Jamaicans expect relief from promised reduction in GCT on electricity

By Lorraine Walker    

 

Jamaicans are looking forward to the promised reduction in the GCT on electricity from 15 to 7 per cent, with the majority saying the measure will provide relief.

 

Speaking at the Jamaica Labour Party's annual conference November last year, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness announced that the reduction in the GCT on electricity would be implemented in the new fiscal year which begins on April 1.

 

Dr. Holness also announced a three-month amnesty for vulnerable people who have been disconnected for debts to the National Water Commission for two years or more.

 

That amnesty started January 2.

 

According to the latest RJRGLEANER commissioned Don Anderson poll, 59 per cent of respondents expect the utility measures to provide relief. Another 24 per cent said they do not expect the measures to provide relief and 17 per cent said they were not sure.

 

Pollster Don Anderson, in providing a breakdown of the results, indicated that the responses were largely tied to political affiliation. 

 

"What we found was that, and understandably, the majority, significant percentage of those who said that the expected relief were people who said they would vote for the Jamaica Labour Party... but it's interesting to note that the larger percentage who said they didn't expect relief were people who said they would vote for the PNP (People's National Party). So there were some political lines drawn even there," he pointed out. 

 

The poll was conducted January 30 to February 13 this year and canvassed responses from 1,201 Jamaicans aged 18 years and older registered to vote across all parishes.

 

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level.