The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has firmly rejected what it describes as “mischief and blatant lies, propaganda” regarding claims that trillions of dollars are missing across various government ministries.
Spokesperson for the JLPs Communication Taskforce, Marlon Morgan commented that the claims are “propaganda being spread by PNP members and supporters, and a few of their surrogates in civil society.”
“The PNP and a few of their surrogates in civil society who have been spreading misinformation are very much aware that what we have is a situation which was initially flagged in 2012/2013 when the PNP was in office where various expenditures were not subjected to an external audit by the Auditor General. These funds are not unaccounted for or missing. It is unbecoming of PNP surrogates to use the traditional and social media space to falsely suggest otherwise,” Morgan stated.
He explained that government ministries receive annual allocations approved by Parliament for their operations and are required by law to prepare Appropriation Accounts at the end of each financial year. These accounts, which outline actual spending against Parliament-approved budgets, must be submitted to the Auditor General within four months of the financial year ending.
Morgan acknowledged that some ministries have yet to finalize these accounts for auditing but assured the public that Jamaica’s financial management system remains rigorous.
“The public can rest assured that based on rigorous accounting procedures and protocols, as well as systemic checks and balances in the Government’s financial management system, including a requirement that each Ministry’s expenditure is accompanied by appropriate payment vouchers and other supporting documents, there are no missing or unaccounted for public funds,” he said.
He emphasized that the current JLP administration is committed to resolving delays in the preparation and certification of Appropriation Accounts.
“Ministries have been directed to build capacity and prioritize their Appropriations Accounts so as to secure the Auditor General’s certification as soon as possible. The Jamaica Labour Party recognises and readily appreciates that protracted delays in the preparation and certification of Appropriation Accounts require action and is not keeping. We are moving to fix the long-standing problem.”
Reiterating the JLP’s position, the statement concluded that any suggestion of missing public funds is “false and irresponsible,” urging stakeholders to refrain from spreading misinformation that could harm Jamaica’s reputation locally and internationally.
Initial report and Finance Minister’s response
The JLP’s statement follows a recent review of the auditor general’s reports on 16 government entities conducted by the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) which revealed that $3 trillion in Jamaican public spending remains unaccounted for over a six- to 11-year period.
Following the report, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams, emphasized that the funds have not gone missing but rather reflect delays in submitting appropriation accounts, which compare actual expenditures against Parliament-approved budgets.
“These accounts are critical to good governance and transparency,” the Minister said. “We will work with the Ministries involved to ensure the timely completion of these reports to the Auditor General’s standards.”
The Minister clarified that many of the outstanding accounts stem from fiscal years 2012/2013 to 2015/2016, creating challenges for subsequent administrations to address the accumulated backlog.
Minister Williams also sought to reassure Jamaicans about the mechanisms in place to ensure accountability in public spending.
Read Minister Williams’ response: Jamaica gov’t responds to $3 trillion unaccounted funds report
Minister of Education, Youth, Skills, and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, echoed Minister Williams’ assurances, dismissing claims of missing funds as misinformation. “I’ve seen reports and social media campaigns claiming that funds are missing. This is simply not true,” Senator Morris Dixon said. “The issue lies in some ministries falling behind in submitting accounts in the required system for auditing.”
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