Government will spend $625 million this financial year, for the continuation of the Education System Transformation Programme (ESTP). Details of this allocation are outlined in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The funds will go toward the Ministry of Education’s policy to expand compulsory education from age 16 to 18 years by providing approximately 2,100...

More than $1.3 billion will be spent in the new fiscal year to  improve and upgrade the operations of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The money has been set aside in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. It will be shared among the Military Services, Air Wing, Coast Guard and Engineering Services. Of the figure,...

A sum of $51 million has been allocated in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, now before Parliament, to continue development of the Electronic Government Procurement system. The project, which commenced in 2011, is intended to strengthen the efficiency and quality of Jamaica’s public procurement process. This, through development of an electronic  system for government procuring and tendering agencies and suppliers,...

An allocation of $8.6 million has been earmarked in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before Parliament, to commence development of the institutional and regulatory framework for Jamaica’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. The initiative aims to improve the sector’s competitiveness, and sustained growth. Envisaged targets include: development of a national ICT/BPO Policy; establishing an information...

The Ministry of Finance and Planning will continue implementation of the Caribbean Criminal Asset Recovery Programme (CCARP), for which just over $35 million has been allocated in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House. The programme, which commenced in January 2013, is designed to support strengthening of the Financial Investigations Division (FID) by providing technical assistance to build...

The Government has allocated $370.2 million in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure towards the implementation of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme. The Estimates were tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 19 by Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips. One of the main objectives of the programme include increasing the capacity and...

A Department of School Services (DSS) is slated to be established in the new fiscal year, to coordinate activities and provide a stronger focus on school improvement and accountability. The DSS is aimed at improving the quality of education and output from the system. This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, while delivering the...