$300.9M Budgeted for SPIRO Project in 2026/27

A total of $300.9 million has been allocated in the 2026/27 Estimates of Expenditure for the implementation of the Social Protection for Increased Resilience and Opportunity (SPIRO) Project.

The aim is to expand social protection coverage in Jamaica and strengthen the delivery system, particularly its capacity to respond to shocks.

The 2026/27 Estimates of Expenditure was tabled in the House of Representatives on February 12 by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams.

As of December 2025, Cabinet approved the unemployment insurance. The first draft of instructions for amendments to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Act and the Employment, Termination and Redundancy Payment (ETRP) Act has been completed, along with data collection and a strategy document for the labour market information system.

Additionally, a report has been drafted assessing employment services business processes. The initial selection of vendors to develop the Social Protection Information System (SPIS) has been completed, and another report has been prepared on access to post secondary and tertiary education and training for persons with disabilities.

For fiscal year 2026/27, the project aims to amend the NIS Act and ETRP Act to implement unemployment (UI) insurance, develop a communications plan and campaign for UI, and support labour market recovery by engaging fieldworkers to provide jobseeker and employer services.

It will also conduct a post Hurricane Melissa labour market assessment and award a contract to develop a Social Protection Information System.

The project is funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).