Activities under the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) III will be boosted with an allocation of $115 million in this year’s budget. As contained in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure currently being reviewed by the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, the money will go towards enhancing citizen security and justice in targetted communities, through the increased...

For the 2014/15 fiscal year, the Government will be seeking to strengthen the enabling environment for private sector competitiveness, to help Jamaica unleash productivity and growth. This will be done through the Jamaica Foundation for Competitiveness and Growth, which has been allocated $40 million in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the Standing Finance Committee of the House. Focus...

A total of $110 million has been allocated in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure for the European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Capacity Building Project. The project aims to contribute to facilitating increased and more diversified exports of agricultural and agro-processed products to the European Union (EU) market. As of February 2014, equipment was procured for laboratories at...

The Ministry of Finance and Planning will continue implementation of the Caribbean Criminal Asset Recovery Programme (CCARP) this year with a $51.9 million allocation. This is included in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the Standing Finance Committee of the House. The project, which commenced in January 2012, seeks to strengthen the Financial Investigations Division (FID) criminal assets recovery...

Some $28 million has been earmarked in the country’s 2014/15 budget to fund activities aimed at improving the levels of innovation in the Caribbean, by building and strengthening capacities in science, technology, and innovation. The anticipated targets this fiscal year for the Improving Innovation Capacities in the Caribbean Project involve: engaging the services of a field officer and junior expert;...

The Government has allocated $3.1 million in the 2014/2015 Estimates of Expenditure for the Wind Powered Irrigation Feasibility Assessment Project. The Estimates of Expenditure are to be considered by the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament from April 8 to 10. The objectives of the project are to conduct a wind assessment in the Pedro Plains area of St. Elizabeth by...

Some $7.4 million has been allotted in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure for the establishment of a Latin America Energy Organization (OLADE) Caribbean Sub-regional office in Jamaica. The project aims to facilitate deeper integration among member countries in the Caribbean and provide greater access to products and services offered by OLADE. As at February 2014, a sub-regional office was established...

The Government is taking action to improve and construct courthouses in sections of the island. In this regard, $345 million has been earmarked in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, currently being reviewed by the Standing Finance Committee of the House, to execute the project. Major components of the project include: creation of the Justice Square judicial complex; establishment of Regional...

A sum of $22.4 million has been allotted to the Office of the Prime Minister in the 2014/15 budget, to complete works under the Basic Needs Trust Fund project (BNTF6). The programme, which ran from June 2009 to December 2013, was implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Its overall objectives...