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$887 Million Allocated to Continue Public Sector Transformation

By: , February 17, 2017

The Key Point:

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service will continue implementation of the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project through a $887 million allocation in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure, which has been tabled in the House of Representatives.

The Facts

  • The project, which commenced in August 2014, aims to strengthen public resource management and support public sector institutions in facilitating a more enabling environment for private sector growth.
  • Among the targets for 2017-18 are: continued designing and implementation of the Public Investment Management Information System; designing of the PIMS website; establishment of the MTRBB Implementation Unit; supporting implementation of the transformation programme at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); development of a public sector competency framework; implementing the National Quality Policy; and undertaking a legislative review.

The Full Story

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service will continue implementation of the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project through a $887 million allocation in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure, which has been tabled in the House of Representatives.

The project, which commenced in August 2014, aims to strengthen public resource management and support public sector institutions in facilitating a more enabling environment for private sector growth.

It is being carried out under five key components – implementation of the Public Investment Management System (PIMS); Strengthening of the budget preparation process and results-based budgeting; Adaptive public sector approaches to promote fiscal sustainability; Strengthening property tax compliance and administration; and Fostering industrial and trade facilitation through the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ).

The first component will incorporate the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) and public investment projects, with operating and maintenance costs fully linked to long-term development goals and medium-term priority areas.

The second focuses on linking budgeting with Government policy priorities through a gradual transition from annual expenditure planning to a medium-term
results-based expenditure framework.

Component three is focused on institutionalisation of the behavioural change process to support new policy measures and provide timely technical assistance that will take into account the ad hoc needs of Government.

The fourth component seeks to improve property tax compliance and update the fiscal cadastre, while the fifth aims to develop and implement an integrated border clearance process through a national single window mechanism.

This window will result in Customs and the participating border agencies eliminating sequential interventions/inspections and either conducting joint specifications or delegating discrete primary functions to Customs.

The project’s achievements up to December 2016, include: Cabinet-approval of the PIMS and establishment of the Public Investment Management Secretariat (PIMSEC); preparation of a strategic assessment document for the Public Expenditure Division to sustain implementation of Medium Term Results Based Budgeting (MTRBB), and contracting of a consultancy firm; completion of a change management/transformation and risk management plan by the BSJ; and drafting of a National Quality (2016).

Among the targets for 2017-18 are: continued designing and implementation of the Public Investment Management Information System; designing of the PIMS website; establishment of the MTRBB Implementation Unit; supporting implementation of the transformation programme at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); development of a public sector competency framework; implementing the National Quality Policy; and undertaking a legislative review.

The project, which is being funded by the World Bank and United Kingdom Department for International Development, will run until January 2020.

Last Updated: February 17, 2017

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