$3 trillion in unaccounted government spending in Jamaica

A staggering $3 trillion in Jamaican public spending remains unaccounted for over a six- to 11-year period, according to a review of the auditor general’s reports on 16 government entities conducted by the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP).

Jeanette Calder, executive director of JAMP, has called the findings an accountability crisis, with the Ministries of Education, Youth and Information, Health and Wellness, and Labour and Social Security being identified as the worst offenders.

“When we look at the money in terms of the reports that they have not provided the auditor general or the Parliament with and the value of those reports, we came up with a $3-trillion crisis,” Calder said during a media round table in Kingston.

The education ministry has not accounted for $902 billion over nine years, the health ministry for $695 billion over 10 years, and the labour ministry for $53.4 billion over the same period. Six municipal corporations were also found to have failed to document $10 billion in spending over 11 years.