KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke will open the 2020/21 budget debate at Gordon House when the House of Representatives resumes sitting at 2:00 this afternoon.

Dr Clarke is scheduled to address the Government’s initial estimates of expenditure for 2020/21, which is at $853.5 billion, as well as revenue projections which are unlikely to include any sizeable tax measures.

He  explained last week that the estimates, as tabled on February 11, were for a budget totalling $852.7 billion, but this was eventually increased to approximately $853.5 billion with the addition of the operational expenses of Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, which has been reintegrated into the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology.

The finance minister also announced contingency provisions of $3.4 billion for the Public Investment Management System to provide budgetary support for projects which are approved for implementation during the course of the financial year.

He also assured the Standing Finance Committee that there were contingency provisions in place which could take care of the more urgent issues arising from the spread of the coronavirus at this time. However, he pointed out that it must be recalled that the budget was tabled prior to the spread of the virus across several countries and its impact on several nations.

Today’s meeting of the House will include the swearing in of former Government Senator Pearnel Charles Jr as Member of Parliament for South Eastern Clarendon, and the likely retirement of his father, the current Speaker of the House Pearnel Charles Sr, in which case a new speaker will be elected.

After today’s opening, the debate will resume on Thursday with the response to the finance minister from the Opposition Spokesman on Finance Mark Golding.