Senate Withdraws Defective Environmental Levy Bill, Passes Corrected Version After Certification Error

Opposition Senator Ramon Small-Ferguson said the five-month delay in implementing Jamaica’s revised Environmental Protection Levy could put about $1.6 billion of the projected $3.6 billion revenue at risk, warning that government finances are already under strain. Government senators defended the delay as the result of consultations with industry, while citing a lower estimated shortfall of $646 million.

Senators had to restart debate on the Environmental Protection Levy Bill after discovering the version before them lacked the speaker’s certificate required for a money Bill. The Senate withdrew the defective copy, tabled the corrected one, and passed the Bill without further amendments, underscoring concerns about rushed tax legislation in Parliament.

Debate on Jamaica’s Environmental Levy Act 2026 was suspended in the Senate after lawmakers found the bill had been tabled without the required money-bill certification. Acting opposition business leader Floyd Morris called the mistake a serious breach, while government senator Dana Morris Dixon said the incorrect version was withdrawn. The bill would impose an environmental protection levy on imported and locally made goods.