9,447 Workers are Registered for Tourism Pension Scheme

The Ministry of Tourism is reporting that 9,447 hospitality workers are now registered for the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, made the disclosure as he opened the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 30.

“They have saved, in the process, $1.2 billion. When added to the $1 billion that we put and the interest that has accrued as a result of good management, we now have $3 billion in the fund,” Mr. Bartlett stated.

The Tourism Workers Pension Scheme was launched in January 2022 and Jamaica became the only country in the world with a comprehensive pension plan for tourism workers.

The scheme is designed to cover all workers in the tourism sector, regardless of their employment status or age, and this includes hotel workers, craft vendors, tour operators, red-cap porters, contract carriage operators and workers at attractions.

This means that all workers in the tourism industry can benefit from the scheme, regardless of their specific roles or responsibilities.

The Government of Jamaica provided $1 billion to allow for immediate benefits to accrue to qualified pensioners.