Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the National Housing Trust (NHT) is expected to spend $23.6 billion on housing and other capital expenditure this year. He said the Trust will provide a mix of houses and residential lots in 42 developments across 11 parishes and is projecting to write new mortgages totalling approximately $16 billion....

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has indicated that the focus this financial year is on adopting strategies geared towards achieving the primary surplus target of seven per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He said the figure represents the operational instrument being utilised to attain a Public Debt/GDP ratio of 96 per cent by the...

A commitment to protect the most vulnerable in the society has been given by Finance and Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw. Opening the 2016/17 Budget Debate in the House, yesterday (May 12), the Minister said an allocation of $28.6 billion has been provided, up from $27.1 billion in 2015/2016, to ensure that the budget for social programmes is maintained....

The 2016/17 budget of $579.9 billion is to be financed through a mix of revenue, grants, loans and inflows from the PetroCaribe Development Fund. This was revealed by Minister of Finance and Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, when he opened the Budget Debate in the House, yesterday (May 12), under the theme: ‘Partnership for Economic Growth’. Revenue and grant inflows for...

The Caribbean Country Manager of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Therese Turner-Jones, says the institution remains committed to supporting the implementation of programmes designed to improve the lives of residents across Latin America and the Caribbean. Speaking at the IDB’s public lecture at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in New Kingston on May 2, Mrs. Turner-Jones said this forms the basis...

The Ministry of Finance and Planning will carry on with the implementation of the Caribbean Criminal Asset Recovery Programme (CCARP), for which a sum of $10.2 million has been allocated in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The programme, which commenced in January 2013, is designed to support the strengthening of the Financial Investigations Division...

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and has planned a slew of activities to mark the milestone. The yearlong celebrations commenced on Sunday (April 24), with a church service at the Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Andrew. Director General at STATIN, Carol Coy, said the entity will be relaunching its website in May,...