THE first supplementary estimates for 2015/16, tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday, reflected a huge $167 billion increase in capital spending, primarily attributed to the inclusion of the PetroCaribe debt buyback.

However, there were also signs of funding included in what could be the final budget before Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller names the date of the next general election.

The estimates, tabled yesterday, reflected: a reduction in the recurrent or housekeeping budget from $432.5 billion to $430 billion, a $2.5 billion cut; a slight increase of $2.2 billion in Capital ‘B’ estimates, which account for spending supported by funds from multilateral and bilateral partners; and a whopping $167.3 billion increase in the Capital ‘A’.

However, the Capital ‘A’ figures relected Jamaican Government spending, primarily focused on the PetroCaribe buyback, a one-off expenditure.

The result is an increase in the budget from$641.5 billion to $808.4 billion, and pushing up the Capital ‘A’ expenditure under the Ministry of Finance and Planning from $178.6 billion to $344.8 billion, despite savings and under-expenditure of $28 billion.