In a rather stern and thunderous tone, Holness told Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters in South East Clarendon on Sunday that he also feels like giving up his current annual salary of $9.1 million.

"I hear man a talk all kinda lie 'bout (I get) $20... million, and $28 million. Lie!" declared a seemingly upset Holness.

"My salary is what it was before, and a tell yuh sup'm, a feel like give it back to! Because mi is a proud man enuh. Mi nuh like people tell lie pon mi. Oh!" said a rather fiery Holness.

He is contending that "the highest paid political man" in Jamaica is Opposition Leader and People's National Party (PNP) President, Mark Golding, who he (Holness) said gets "three times" his salary.

In noting that both Golding and Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Horace Chang, received the same salary under the compensation review, Holness insinuated that there is a vast difference in the workloads of both men.

He said Golding does not have to run any ministry (like Chang), and has no duties public-wise, “only to run up and down and make mischief; and….”

Under the review, the prime minister's salary was to have moved from $9.1 million in 2021 to $28.6 million on April 1, 2024. By April 1, 2023, the head of Government would have gotten $25.3 million annually, and then over $28 million the following year.

For Golding, under the  review structure, the Opposition leader's existing salary of $8.031 million moved to $20.099 million, effective April 2022, moving to $22.740 million effective April 2023, after which it will increase to $25.729 million effective April 2024.

Chang will receive a similar compensation as Deputy Prime Minister.

Earlier this month, Golding outlined that he had contributed 80 per cent of his retroactive salary increase, totalling $5,417,000, to charities, a commitment he had given in light of the public outrage over the massive salary increases that were given to local politicians under the compensation review.