Gov’t Increases Allocation for Crime-Fighting

The allocation to the Ministry of National Security for fiscal year 2018/19 has increased by 23.4 per cent, moving to $78.5 billion up from $63.6 billion in 2017/18.

Opening the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 8, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, said the increase will facilitate the provision of machinery and equipment, and implementation of physical infrastructure and social-intervention programmes.

Mr. Shaw said projects to be undertaken in the new fiscal year include construction of new facilities for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); expansion of crime-fighting training facilities; building and improvement of several correctional facilities; procurement of motor vehicles and other specialised equipment to respond to both physical threats and cyberattacks; and continuation of social-intervention initiatives.

He said the Government has identified national security and the rule of law as among the main strategic priorities for fiscal year 2018/19 and for the medium-term.

The theme of the Minister’s presentation was ‘Stability, Growth and Prosperity – Our Goal, Our Responsibility’.