There is this massive feeling that all MPs always have money on them, so when you tell a man 'no', you will hear all kinds of comments, including that he is not voting for you again.as if some of them ever did in the first place,вЂќ the experienced parliamentarian said. People just can't understand that MPs have lives too they have their own families who depend on them for sustenance they also have to pay for light, water, cable, and put food on their own tables. Whenever an MP shows his face in a constituency, it is going to cost him. вЂњJamaicans are now locked into a culture whereby MPs are seen as ATMs. вЂњSome of what MPs are feeling is as a result of their own doing,вЂќ one experienced MP stated.

It is common for Members of Parliament to fork out money to assist with doctors' visits, help bury the dead, contribute to wakes, assist with school activities, buy liquor at social events, or simply to give to those whose addiction includes always 'taxing' elected officials whenever they are in sight. Parliamentarians are known to come under severe pressure from constituents, who often target them for assistance with personal projects and chores. So what would you do? Not take it? I have,вЂќ the MP said. вЂњI for one will not go to a contractor and demand money from him, but there are those out there who know the plight that you are facing and want to see how best they can be of assistance. вЂњYou can't blame us if a contractor offers us a gift,вЂќ said one boldly, in reference to kickbacks that some MPs are accused of collecting from some of those who are awarded Government contracts. Still another MP turned on the defensive switch when he suggested that elected officials were forced to depend on other earners with whom they were in contact, to ease their monthly burden. Now, when you have to spend so much money for travelling purposes, what is left to do other things?вЂќ There have been occasions when I have had to go up to $200,000 on petrol. вЂњI spend, regularly, $150,000 on gasoline alone a month. They highlight that they spend a minimum half of their salaries on petrol bills alone. Many of our MPs struggle to stay alive each month,вЂќ the parliamentarian stated.ДЇor rural Jamaica MPs, the situation was even more difficult, as they are forced to travel long distances, sometimes through treacherous terrain to reach their constituents and see to their needs. вЂњThere are people out there who think that MPs are making this huge amount of money from being in politics, but how wrong they are. вЂњIf it hadn't been for my business, I don't know how I would have managed to function as a Member of Parliament,вЂќ one said. All of them asked not to be named, over concern of being possibly targeted for backlash. One of them even described the salaries as вЂњshamefulвЂќ. Members of Parliament with no additional State duty get around $300,000 each month, which those who spoke with the Sunday Observer describe as inadequate, one even said вЂњwoefully soвЂќ, to serve their own needs, let alone those of the thousands of constituents that they represent. They all offered sorrowful stories about how they manage to stay alive and relevant, while being paid their current salaries. The member, one of seven who spoke with the Jamaica Observer, all complaining about the money that they take home from the Government each month, said that the time had come for the political Administration of the day to address the pay of Members of Parliament, with a view to increasing it, вЂњsignificantlyвЂќ according to one. Andrew Holness, and best wishes for his success as he prepares to take up the responsibilities and challenges of the high office of Prime Minister of Jamaica.One member of Jamaica's Parliament has boldly admitted to accepting monetary gifts from contractors, in order to bolster his salary which he said was too low to meet the needs of his constituents and his home. Winning the election on a programme of tax cuts for businesses, reviving an economy saddled with a debt-to-GDP ratio of some 125 percent, and creating jobs for the youth, it is my hope and expectation that the Prime Minister-electвЂ™s tenure in office will be marked by the delivery of progress and prosperity to the Jamaican people.

Portia Simpson-Miller, JamaicaвЂ™s first female Prime Minister, for graciously conceding defeat in her unsuccessful bid for a second term in office.

I also congratulate outgoing Prime Minister, Hon. Andrew Holness leader of JamaicaвЂ™s opposition centre-right political party, the Jamaican Labour Party, on his election as the new Prime Minister of Jamaica, following recent the general election in the Caribbean island nation.

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