Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that he will not be taking his massive pay hike under the new compensation structure for the political directorate.

"I have directed the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU) to remove the prime minister's compensation from the new salary scale," he said at a press briefing at Jamaica House on Monday evening.

"The prime minister's compensation will, therefore, remain at its previous level," he added.

Holness said no retroactive amounts will be applied to his salary.

He said he has taken the decision in solidarity with struggling Jamaicans.

Under the review, the prime minister's salary was to move from $9.1 million in 2021 to $28.6 million on April 1, 2024.

By April 1, 2023, the head of Government would get $25.3 million annually, and then over $28 million the following year.

There has been public outrage over the new salaries for elected politicians at both the Central and Local Government levels since an announcement from Finance and the Public Service Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke, last week.

However, Holness indicated at the press briefing that Cabinet Ministers, other parliamentarians and parish councillors are to all receive the new salaries that were outlined by Clarke.