Senator Lambert Brown
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Opposition Senator Lambert Brown has called for a review of the Education Tax to provide relief for workers earning less than $20,000 a week
The Education Tax Act was passed in 1983, with the proceeds intended to fund the education sector.
Senator Brown moved a motion for the review in the Senate on Friday, arguing that, with the revenue from this tax ending up in the Consolidated Fund and being used for other purposes, it is just another tax on the incomes of Jamaicans.
Noting that the Government recently discontinued the income tax payment requirement persons earning $32,700 per week or less, he pointed out that "minimum wage workers and other "low-paid workers" are still required to pay the Education Tax.
"And as a result of the government increasing the minimum wage in the last budget, the Government of Jamaica will receive... 500 million dollars more in taxes through the Education Tax from minimum wage workers."
"It is important to put more money into the the low-paid worker's pocket, rather than the government getting a windfall of over 500 million dollars in more taxes," he argued.
Contract workers
The Senator moved a second motion on Friday, to cease what he termed the exploitation of contract workers.
He wants a review panel convened to review the laws governing the practice of fixed term contracts, pointing out that "these workers are not pension (and) no protection through due process."
Labeling the current situation "an abusive system," he highlighted the protests and strikes by workers some months ago to press their demands for change.
He said many countries, such as the UK, Australia, South Africa, and Grenada, have changed their laws "to protect the workers against this colourful device of fixed term contracts."
"I am proposing that Jamaica do no less; we review the laws and protect Jamaican workers," he concluded.
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