Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
IT COULD cost nearly one-fifth of the current national Budget to smash the reign of terror by gangs responsible for bloodletting across Jamaica, says Finance Minister Audley Shaw.
The island’s economic growth has been retarded by a parasitic crime bug which has manifested itself in record murder rates and the scarring of its touristy image of sand, sea and sun.
Shaw, in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday, said the path to development would be made easier if the country was able to secure up to US$1 billion (J$88 billion) over the medium term to effectively crush crime, which is driven by scores of gangs islandwide.
“If we could secure US$500 million to a billion over the medium term, it would go a far way in the fight against crime,” Shaw said.
The minister, however, said this spending would have to target a wide spectrum of disciplines, including policing, training and social intervention.
“That figure of US$1 billion would includeadditional resources for the security forces, equipment, personnel, plus resources for community development and economic transformation in vulnerable communities,” Shaw said.
The Government is spending $11.5 billion out of the $503-billion Budget on national security this year.
