$11 b added to national budget

Government did a further tightening up of the 2011/2012 budget today (March 20) when it tabled the 3^rd Supplementary Estimates in Parliament.

The government increased the spending provisions by $11 b, the majority of it to pay down on a debt to Alcoa Alumina Company for Clarendon Alumina Productions (CAP).

This estimate comes two weeks after the Portia Simpson Miller administration made the first adjustment to the budget as presented by the former administration.

In the estimates presented two weeks ago, the government slashed $22 b from the $547 billion budget.

However, today put the spending up again by $11 b, $8 b of it on the capital side.

The spending or expenditure budget for the year is now $536.4 b.