Minimum wage announcement coming this month- Premier
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), speaking on ‘Da Morning Braff’ on Tola Radio (100.5 FM) this morning, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, said he would be the one to make that announcement.
Phased approach to allow businesses to adjust
The minimum wage increase by $2.50 per hour from $6.00 per hour was announced last year and was supposed to take effect on November 30, 2024, however, due to varying circumstances, its implementation had to be postponed.
The announcement, two months passed the initial implementation date, will detail when the minimum wage will take effect, Premier Wheatley said.
“We will see an increase in the minimum wage,” he promised, “I know businesses have to plan ahead, so I want to give them advanced notice. So we will see an increase. Most likely, it will be a phased increase you know, we increase a certain amount, allow businesses the opportunity to adjust themselves to that amount and then we’ll review and increase again over time.”
Premier Wheatley again said the government is exploring the feasibility of extending “the tax exemption from ten to fifteen thousand”.
This, he said, will allow the government to share in the “burden” of increased wages with businesses.
“We want to share that burden, government give a little, businesses give a little,” Premier Wheatley said.
Cost of living needs to be monitored- Premier Wheatley
Dr Wheatley added that attention must be paid to the cost of living and relayed a conversation he had with one business owner who said increasing the minimum wage across all their businesses would see wages increase by three to five hundred thousand dollars.
“Quite naturally those costs would have to be passed on to the consumer, so we make things more expensive,” the Premier added, “Some of the same persons that you think you might be trying to help, you might be hurting them by making the cost of living go even higher.”
The Premier also said when things such as increasing the minimum wage are done, it needs to be done “holistically”.
15 Responses to “Minimum wage announcement coming this month- Premier”
cant even properly buy a tray of eggs these days. a whole $8-$12 for a dozen. so we got to work 1 hour to afford some eggs?
Any bulls*** to say ah say something. Its all about protecting the rich making sure they continue to live lavish while poor people slave and suffer. Imagine a so called freedom fighter pulling this on his people as soon as he achieves power.