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Details are beginning to emerge about the budget cuts which are to be implemented across Government ministries, departments and agencies.
There is indication that the reduction in spending will be significant.
Word has come that the Ministry of Education's budget for capital expenditure has been slashed from a little over $1 billion to $500 million.
Andrew Holness, the Minister of Education, made the disclosure on RJR’s daily current affairs discussion programme Beyond The Headlines Tuesday night, August 23.
He explained that this year's budget for infrastructure programmes has taken its biggest cut in nearly seven years.
"This year, the infrastructure budget that was approved was somewhere in the region of $1.2 billion. On average for the last seven years, the infrastructure budget would have been about $2 billion," Mr. Holness said.
Audley Shaw, the Minister of Finance, recently announced that the 2011/2012 budget would have to be reduced in order for Jamaica to meet its obligations under the Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Fund has delayed its last two quarterly reviews of Jamaica until the requirements are met.
The reviews will determine whether the IMF makes another disbursement to Jamaica.
No cut in services
Meanwhile, Mr. Holness has sight to assure that despite the slash in spending by his ministry, there will be no diminishing of the quality of services in the education sector.
He explained that there will be tighter management of resources.
"We haven't cut services, I don’t think any school or any parent can say that the education service has been cut in such a way that their child would not benefit or stands to lose. All the schools will tell you that they’re doing more with the same level of resources by virtue of administrative, bureaucratic and management change," Mr. Holness said.
There is indication that the reduction in spending will be significant.
Word has come that the Ministry of Education's budget for capital expenditure has been slashed from a little over $1 billion to $500 million.
Andrew Holness, the Minister of Education, made the disclosure on RJR’s daily current affairs discussion programme Beyond The Headlines Tuesday night, August 23.
He explained that this year's budget for infrastructure programmes has taken its biggest cut in nearly seven years.
"This year, the infrastructure budget that was approved was somewhere in the region of $1.2 billion. On average for the last seven years, the infrastructure budget would have been about $2 billion," Mr. Holness said.
Audley Shaw, the Minister of Finance, recently announced that the 2011/2012 budget would have to be reduced in order for Jamaica to meet its obligations under the Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Fund has delayed its last two quarterly reviews of Jamaica until the requirements are met.
The reviews will determine whether the IMF makes another disbursement to Jamaica.
No cut in services
Meanwhile, Mr. Holness has sight to assure that despite the slash in spending by his ministry, there will be no diminishing of the quality of services in the education sector.
He explained that there will be tighter management of resources.
"We haven't cut services, I don’t think any school or any parent can say that the education service has been cut in such a way that their child would not benefit or stands to lose. All the schools will tell you that they’re doing more with the same level of resources by virtue of administrative, bureaucratic and management change," Mr. Holness said.
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