Proposed US$1bn public spending to focus on roads, water, urban renewal

The Jamaican government is planning capital expenditure of J$89bn (US$1.04bn) in the 2011-12 fiscal year, which will be spent mainly on roads, water, housing infrastructure and urban renewal, according to finance and public service minister ( MOF) Audley Shaw. "When this expenditure is combined with the J$60bn in the central government's non-debt capital expenditure, it totals a whopping J$149bn of capital expenditure - the largest in the history of Jamaica," Shaw said during a presentation to open the parliamentary budget debate. Projects include the national water commission's ( NWC) revised three-year plan to realign its operations by expanding water service coverage, improving customer service, increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs. NWC will spend J$10.3bn on the plan, which will kick off this year or in 2012, according to Shaw. A special allocation of J$500mn has also been secured for small rural water supply projects. ROAD PLANS Planned expenditures for road improvements will come under road maintenance fund RMF and the Jamaica infrastructure development program (JDIP). The government has earmarked J$750mn for RMF, which aims to overhaul, upgrade and improve the island's main road network to meet international road standards. JDIP, designed by the national works agency (NWA), will be carried out over five years at a cost of US$400mn. Some US$340mn, or 85%, will be provided by China Export Import Bank) and 15% by a fuel tax. Work under JDIP involves repairing 20 main and parochial roads, building 12 new bridges and 27 retaining walls, installing 17 modular bridges, repairing 200,000m2 of roadway, river channeling, and more.