KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator and Parliamentary Secretary in the Information Ministry, Marlon Morgan, says a real-time audit by the Auditor General’s Department shows the Government has moved to spend more than $11 billion on 420 Hurricane Melissa relief and recovery contracts currently underway, while describing the audit as an important tool for information and accountability.

Morgan argued that the $11.3 billion being spent on relief and recovery initiatives far outweighs the $1.4 billion in donations identified in the Auditor General’s Report as unspent.

“What is instructive is that the $1.4 billion in donations cited in the Auditor General’s Report as being unspent so far is exponentially outstripped by the massive $11.3 billion that is actually being spent on various relief and recovery initiatives. There can be no denying that in spite of bureaucracy-related red tape which delays project implementation and the expenditure of available funds, the Government has utilised practical and situationally appropriate mechanisms to deliver timely and effective relief for citizens affected by Hurricane Melissa, while ensuring value for money,” he commented.