Shaw Says Gas Tax Road Repairs Will Start Soon

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, says that Jamaicans should soon start seeing repairs to their roads financed from the special consumption tax on fuel introduced in April.
Speaking Wednesday at the weekly Post Cabinet Briefing at Jamaica House, the Minister reported that the glitches, which led to the Government receiving the payments from the Petrojam oil refinery late, have been worked out.
“The revenue inflows for July have already begun to show a marked improvement, as we have received some inflows from the fuel tax, and we have moved to pass on some of those funds to the Road Maintenance Fund,” he informed.
Mr. Shaw also assured the press that, despite current budgetary challenges, the portion of the special consumption tax earmarked for road maintenance would not be diverted into any other area.
“We have given a commitment, 20 per cent will go into road repairs and that commitment is firm,” he stated.
During his budget presentation in April, Mr. Shaw announced the special tax on fuel and said that 20 per cent of the money would be placed in the Road Maintenance Fund for road repairs.