Fiscal Commission tells agencies to clear procurement backlog as reconstruction spending stalls

Jamaica's Independent Fiscal Commission wants government agencies to clear the procurement and capacity hurdles holding back their capital budgets, which ran $17.5 billion or 38.5 per cent below target in the April to June quarter.

Public bodies accounted for three-quarters of the underspending; central government accounted for the balance.

"The commission cautions that capital under-execution does not amount to true fiscal savings, and urges government agencies to resolve procurement and capacity hurdles to accelerate post-hurricane reconstruction," it said in its statement on fiscal performance for the quarter, released on Monday.