Mark Golding income at J$39.9m in certified 2024 filing

The Integrity Commission (IC) has released and published a certified summary of the 2024 statutory declaration for Jamaica's Opposition leader Mark Golding, covering income, assets, and liabilities for him, his spouse, and their children. The filing, which spans January 1 to December 31, 2024, was certified by the IC and published in the Jamaica Gazette on May 26, 2026, as required under law and also reported in The Gleaner.

The disclosure comes amid continuing scrutiny of the certification process for other senior political figures. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ declarations have remained uncertified since 2021, an issue that has repeatedly drawn public and parliamentary attention. In past remarks, Holness has maintained that he has complied with statutory requirements and has challenged aspects of the Integrity Commission’s findings, including through legal channels, arguing that elements of the reports are inaccurate or incomplete.

For the Golding family, the IC reported a notable reduction in financial activity for 2024. Total income fell to J$39.9 million, down from J$70.7 million in 2023, reflecting lower earnings across several categories.

Salary income accounted for J$25.2 million, while securities income contributed just over J$2 million. “Other income” dropped sharply to J$12.6 million from J$36.9 million the previous year. On the foreign currency side, securities income totalled US$279,007, down from US$324,013 in 2023.

Under Jamaica’s statutory framework, parliamentarians and public officials earning J$12 million or more annually are required to submit yearly declarations to the IC. For the prime minister and opposition leader, those filings must also be published in the Gazette for public scrutiny.

On the asset side, the Golding household’s Jamaican holdings declined from J$165.6 million in 2023 to J$142.1 million in 2024. The portfolio included J$113.8 million in securities, slightly higher than the previous year’s J$111.2 million. Savings dropped to J$654,589.99 from J$946,440.68, while current accounts stood at J$2.2 million, roughly J$1 million lower than in 2023. Other personal property was valued at J$1.15 million.

Additional Jamaican assets included J$7.5 million in receivables, J$10.8 million in vehicles, and J$6 million in life insurance cash value.

US-dollar assets were reported at US$908,907, down from US$995,874 in 2023. These included US$76,245 in savings, US$379,667 in securities, US$140,000 in real estate (purchase value), US$86,572 in automobiles, US$3,459 in current accounts, and US$222,953 in life insurance value.

Liabilities were listed as “other accounts payable” totalling J$2.7 million, along with US$6,890.

The IC said it had reviewed the declaration and confirmed it was properly completed, while noting that the process does not amount to a formal audit of financial records.

The report also sits against the backdrop of broader IC activity involving senior officials. In earlier findings, the Commission has referred aspects of its investigations involving the prime minister’s financial declarations to the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), citing unresolved questions requiring further examination. Those referrals have kept parts of the process open, with investigators noting that further clarification is needed before certain determinations can be finalised.

In public comments over the past year, Holness has pushed back against aspects of the IC’s conclusions, saying he would challenge portions of the findings and raising concerns about procedural fairness in how some matters have been assessed. The IC, meanwhile, has maintained that its statutory role is to examine declarations, not to determine guilt or criminal liability.

In December 2024, the Supreme Court granted Holness permission to seek judicial review of two IC reports relating to his declarations, while declining his request to compel certification of earlier filings or direct exoneration.