A SIGNIFICANT portion of taxpayers' dollars will be used to pay parliamentary representatives this year, despite Prime Minister Bruce Golding's signal that he will take a 15 per cent salary cut and other government members of parliament (MP) will take a 10 per cent pay reduction.

Just under $346 million has been set aside in the 2009-2010 Estimates of Expenditure to be spent by Parliament on remuneration and allowances to MPs. That is $25 million more than last year - and once again, the bulk of the allocation will be spent on government ministers.

The salaries of government backbenchers and opposition MPs, excluding the leader of the opposition, total $85 million.

This leaves $261 million to be shared among government ministers, house speaker Delroy Chuck and his deputies, and the opposition leader.

The Estimates of Expenditure says the money budgeted is for remuneration, housing and entertainment allowances, travel expenses and chauffeur grants for ministers and ministers of state.

Golding

Prime Minister Golding's salary, when his 15 per cent pay cut is taken into account, will work out at approximately $4.7 million.

The 10 per cent pay cut will leave Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ken Baugh's salary at $4.2 million, Finance Minister Audley Shaw at $3.9 million, House Speaker Delroy Chuck at $3.4 million while Deputy Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert will collect $2.7 million.

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller's salary stands at $3.5 million and would slip to $3.1 if she agrees with Golding's call for a 10 per cent cut.

Last week, Golding, in an address to the nation, announced that he would be taking a 15 per cent cut in his salary and urged all MPs to "join in this symbolically important gesture".

However, the Opposition has described the move as token, while not saying if its MPs will take the salary cut.

The Sunday Gleaner@gleanerjm.com