Senate Approves 2022 Appropriation Bill

The Senate on Friday (March 25) approved the Appropriation Bill, 2022, which outlines how the government will spend the $912 billion allocated in the 2022/23 Estimates of Expenditure.

The Bill authorises expenditure for the financial year 2022/23 and stipulates how the money will be allocated to the various services and purposes of the government.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill who piloted the legislation, said the government has presented an Appropriation Bill “that takes care of people.

“In this budget, the Minister [of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke] has outlined a spend of $40.6 billion just to look after the welfare of Jamaicans; $20.6 billion has gone straight to…health for the coronavirus,” he said.

He further pointed to the $7.9 billion given to Jamaicans, amounting to $18,000 a month “that helped them through great difficulties; another $4.1 billion given to them in the Second Supplementary Budget; and we gave them even more in the Third Supplementary Budget”.

The Minister noted that through the provisions of the Bill, the government has sought to provide an environment that investors can find attractive and welcoming, which encourages them to continue to invest in Jamaica.

It has also served to create an environment where the government is managing its fiscal affairs in such a manner that even when “inflation is driving the world,” Jamaica will be able to look after itself and its people, Senator Hill said.

“Even in this time of pandemic, and especially because of the 8.4 per cent economic growth we expect, our revenue collection is looking better than most of our neighbours and that is helping us to be able to spend in a fashion that we have increased spending this year because of our expected increased collection in taxes,” the Minister added.

The money the government will spend for the 2022/23 fiscal year, is comprised of non-debt recurrent expenditure of $539.5 billion; capital expenditure of $65.1 billion; and debt servicing of $307.5 billion.

The Bill was approved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 22) following the close of the Budget Debate.