KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has responded to a viral letter thanking him for the recent personal income tax break.

” Use tax break money to buy, build or improve your house! Earlier this week I came across a letter, which had gone viral on social media, thanking me for the tax break. While I found it humorous, I thought it important to remind Jamaicans of the real purpose of giving back more disposable income,” the prime minister said in a post on his official Facebook page today.

The young man who wrote the letter and posted it to social media expressed that he felt like a millionaire and, in humour, stated that he could now change his diet and lifestyle.

However, Holness had other ideas in mind about how people could invest the additional income. “The additional money should be used wisely, and housing is among the best expenditure decisions to make, both for you and the economy,” he said.

The prime minister noted several changes that have recently been made to National Housing Trust (NHT) policies including an increased loan limit for buying land and purchasing houses in new developments as well as reduced interest rates for low income earners.

“We have made mortgages more affordable, and we are partnering with developers to bring over 10,000 housing solutions to market, in addition to developments which are privately constructed. This will create investment value for you, jobs for the unemployed and growth in the economy. Housing over new shoes!” he explained.

Balford Henry