Ja: Disastrous economic policy

FINANCE Minister Omar Davies will announce a "substantial" hike in the income tax threshold in the 2004/2005 budget as part of the sweetener to make more palatable the two-year wage freeze that has been agreed to by trade unions on behalf of 40,000 public sector employees.

However, the precise level to which people's non-tax pay would increase could not be immediately ascertained.

The Jamaican government seems to be more interested in supporting union membership than it is in economic growth. Jamaica is going to have to learn the hard way that no country can tax its way to prosperity. Ask the Europeans.