KINGSTON , Jamaica – Parish councils exceeded their property tax target for the last fiscal year, collecting a total of J$7.4 billion for 2014/2015.

This is according to Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development Colin Fagan, who also acknowledged that the figure did not include other taxes collected.

The State minister was addressing reporters and editors at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, held at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue head offices in Kingston.

“It was J$7.4 billion that was actually collected last fiscal year; J$7.26 billion was the actual target last year, and it’s the same this year,” he said.

Director of Corporate Communications in the ministry, Oliver Fagan, also aptly pointed out that the sum was collected among the 14 local authorities in Jamaica.

The Government has collected some J$3 billion in property tax since the start of the 2015/2016 financial year, with the expectation of surpassing this year’s target, which was disclosed by portfolio Minister Noel Arscott at a ceremony in Kingston recently.

Arscott reminded the country that property tax is used to pay for public cleansing and streetlights.

Moya Hinds