Financial Administration and Audit Act 1959 (consol. 2019), Fiscal Responsibility Framework Regulations 2012, and Protected Disclosures Act 2011

Jamaica's public financial management framework is anchored in the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1959 (consolidated 2019), which establishes the Consolidated Fund, appropriation requirements, the Office of the Director of Audit (constitutionally grounded at s.120 of the 1962 Constitution), and — via the Fiscal Responsibility Framework Regulations 2012 — statutory fiscal rules including a debt-to-GDP reduction pathway (60% of GDP target by 2025-26), primary balance requirements, and a mandatory annual Fiscal Policy Paper presented to Parliament in February. Public bodies are separately governed by the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act 2001. Competitive procurement is mandated by the Public Procurement Act 2015 (amended 2019). Whistleblower protections are provided by the Protected Disclosures Act 2011. The IBP Open Budget Survey 2023 scores Jamaica 50/100 on transparency — strongest in batch 02 Westminster-cont cluster — with solid In-Year Reports (63/100), Mid-Year Review (56/100), and Citizens' Guide to the Budget (58/100), but a notable gap in the formal Pre-Budget Statement. Jamaica has undergone five PEFA assessments (most recently 2024) and extensive IMF programme engagement since 2010 that has driven fiscal consolidation from approximately 145% debt-to-GDP to near the statutory 60% target.

Transparency Requirements