The Government is slated to make nearly $116 billion in payments on investment instruments next fiscal year. This sum is contained in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The allocations include $75.9 billion for repayment on Jamaica-dollar benchmark investment notes; $15.24 for partial redemption of Government-issued treasury bills, pursuant to the Treasury Bills Act, for...

Several schools across the island are to benefit from upgrading works this fiscal year under the Basic Needs Trust Fund project. These include the Christiana Moravian Primary and Mandeville Primary in Manchester, Discovery Bay All-Age and Ocho Rios Primary in St. Ann, Old Harbour Primary and Brown’s Hall Primary in St. Catherine, Braes River Primary in St. Elizabeth, and May...

Establishment of the Jamaica National Identification Agency (JNIA) is to commence in the 2017/18 fiscal year. This is one of the activities to be undertaken as the Government moves to develop a National Identification System (NIDS) that supports secure, reliable and robust verification and authentication of citizens and persons normally resident in Jamaica. A sum of $262.7 million has been...

The Government has allocated $385 million towards the Production Incentives Project to mitigate the effects of drought conditions impacting farmers. Details are outlined in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. For the next fiscal year, the project aims to procure and deliver one hundred 650- gallon water tanks, procure and deliver on-farm irrigation kits for...

Just over $32 billion has been set aside in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, for the Government’s repayment of loans to several bilateral and multilateral institutions. These include $11.9 billion to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in relation to capital, infrastructure and social development, agriculture, education and technical assistance, and liquidity and health support....

More than $1 billion has been allocated to the Sugar Transformation Project to develop a sustainable private-sector-led sugar industry. Details are contained in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project, being implemented by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, aims to coordinate the smooth and effective implementation of the Jamaica Country Strategy...

The Government is to implement an electronic tendering and purchase system this fiscal year as it continues its work to streamline operations within the public sector. The system will ensure a more transparent and efficient process in Government procurement. This and other activities are to be carried out under the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme (PSTMP), for which a...