KINGSTON: The Ministry of Finance and Planning will continue implementation of the Government’s Fiscal Administration Modernisation Programme.
This will be done with the $1.4 billion allocated in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure currently before Parliament.
The project, which commenced in December 2011, seeks to support the Government in achieving a sustainable fiscal position by strengthening the Finance Ministry’s institutional capacity to effectively improve customs, inland tax collections, and manage debt and government payment operations.
Significant achievements up to the end of December 2014 include: tax administration reform, inclusive of e-filing facilities being installed at the St. Andrew Revenue Service Centre, and commenced implementation of the Integrated Tax Administration System; modernisation of the Jamaica Customs Agency, inclusive of implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data; continued implementation of the Central Treasury Management System (CTMS); strengthening of the debt management system; and project administration, inclusive of preparation of terms of reference for implementing accounting system services for the e-Govern-ment procurement project.
Targets for 2015/16 include continued modernisation of Tax Administration Jamaica at a cost of just over $1 billion; strengthening of customs and control, $188.9 million; and strengthening of the CTMS, $100.27 million.
The project, which runs until December 2016, is being financed by the Inter-American Development Bank.
