With Budget in hand, Minister of Finance Audley Shaw (left) consults with the man he took over from, the People's National Party's Dr Omar Davies, ahead of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's 2009/10 Budget speech in Parliament yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

MORE TAX dollars are projected to head to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to purchase weapons and ammunition, figures contained in the Estimates of Expenditure for the 2009-2010 fiscal year reveal.

The estimates, which were tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday, show that Government intends to spend $100 million more for the purchase of guns and bullets for the army.

At the same time, the estimates indicate that the Government also intends to cut back on the construction and repairs of rehabilitation centres, while going ahead with plans to construct a public mortuary in St Andrew.

More for nat'l security

The national security budget has been increased from $37.4 billion last year to just over $42 billion.

The greatest portion, $39.8 billion, is being spent for recurrent expenditure such as wages.

Less funds will also be coming from the multilateral and bilateral agencies for capital support.

Within the constraints of the Budget, however, Government is projecting to spend $140 million on the purchase of weapons and ammunition, up from $40 million last year. The State had also spent $2.5 million for these purchases the previous financial year.

The JDF's recurrent budget has been increased from $6.3 billion to $9.5 billion with the air wing and the coastguard getting the biggest slice of the allocation.

The air wing is set to get $489.3 million, up from $210 million the previous year, while the coastguard is set to receive $533.6 million, up from $294.8 million.

Military training

The allocation to the JDF for the training of military personnel moves from $87.4 million to $167.3 million in recurrent expenditure.

At the same time, the Government is proposing to spend less on the correctional services.

The department's capital budget has been slashed from just over $118 million the previous year to $60 million this year.

The Capital A spending on adult institutions has been cut from over $81 million last year to $33 million this year.

Juvenile institutions, which in the last financial year saw their allocation chopped from $40 million to $5 million in the first supplementary estimates, will not benefit one dime from taxpayers for capital expenditure this year.

The Government, meanwhile, has signalled its intent to construct the public mortuary in St Andrew, even though it plans to shave $7 million off the $107.9 allocated last year.

Meanwhile, less funds are also heading to the repair and construction of police stations as last year's allocation of $639.2 million for this area has been downgraded to $200 million.

Not a single cent has been proposed for the purchase of vehicles and boats for the police. In fact, the capital spending for the maintenance of law and order has been butchered.

The allocation moves from $1.94 billion last year to $300 million in the proposed estimates.

The Standing Finance Committee of Parliament will begin meeting next week to consider the estimates.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com