BUDGET 2016: Jamaicans 'wait and see' for $18,000, but many express skepticism

Just moments before Finance Minister Audley Shaw announces a new tax package, Karl Griffiths is adamant that he still wants his $18,000 tax relief per month.

When Loop News asked the Mannings Hill Road, St Andrew resident if he was anticipating the relief and how he would spend the extra money, he simply said: “I have four children, me do cleaning work at an office in downtown and me would be glad for the extra money because every month them draw this whole heap of money from me pay. I never know is today it was going announce still,” he said.

For Nardia, another Mannings Hill Road resident, it was neither here nor there. She had grown to cultivate a mistrust for any promises politicians made.

“I have to hear it first. I don’t believe anything them say,” she said.

Michael Swaby, also known as ‘Bubba’ was equally skeptical.

“They are all liars. I taking a wait and see attitude but it would be a good thing for people like me who earn less than $700,000 a year,” said Swaby, who resides in Kingston

In its election campaign, the Jamaica Labour Party had promised to remove income tax from the pay packages of those persons who earn $1.5 million or less and warned that income earners of more than $5 million would be taxed harder.

The promise drew the ire of then Government Finance Minister Peter Phillips, who said the promise was a red herring and could not work as it would put considerable strain on the fiscal budget.

Even though she is self employed, Maureen Bartley agreed with Phillips.

“So when they stop taking those taxes, where them going get money to replace the gap? I don’t think them going to do it,” the Kingston woman said.