KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party (PNP) president, Dr Peter Phillips says that the Opposition will support the provisions of the public sector pension Bill.

However, Dr Phillips insisted on the condition of a timeline, which ensures that the implementation is going in the direction of relieving the financial burden it creates on public revenues.

He said that based on the information available from the expected actuarial review, the government should be able to guide the process based on a timeline.

He also suggested that the three-year review period could be brought forward to 18 months, to ensure that a timeline is given for Government to commence contributing to the segregated fund, as well as the scope of the pension programme to meet its objectives.

Prime Minister Andrew Holiness urged members of Parliament not to make the debate a political issue, as the cost of public sector pension was too much of a burden on the public purse and could threaten capital expenditure or lead to increased debt.

The debate on the Bill, which will require that government workers start contributing to their pension fund in 2017/18 at the level of five per cent of salary, was suspended until next week.

Balford Henry