Gov’t to table Fourth Supplementary Estimates
Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke will on Tuesday afternoon table yet another in a series of supplementary estimates in the House of Representatives.
This will mark the fourth supplementary estimates to be tabled during the fiscal year which ends March 31, and the second since January 31 when the Third Supplementary Estimates, which added $24.5 billion to the national budget, were tabled.
It is not known whether the estimates being tabled Tuesday are to accommodate public sector groups that are yet to sign off on the Government’s new compensation package.
The 25,000 strong Jamaica Teachers’ Association and the Police Federation, representing more than 12,000 members, are yet to sign off on the new wage package and Clarke has indicated that there is no room in the 2023/24 Budget to accommodate the payments.
However, the leadership of both groups have indicated that they will not be pressured by the government into signing as they continue to negotiate for an improved offer for their membership from the Administration.
Once tabled on Tuesday, the estimates will be referred to the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) for consideration.The House will then suspend its sitting for the PAAC to meet.
On resumption, the report of the PAAC on the Fourth Supplementary Estimates will be tabled and taken after which the estimates will be referred to the Standing Finance Committee of the whole House for consideration.
The budget for the 2022/23 fiscal year currently stands at $998.2 billion.
