Standing Finance Committee: Foreign ministry to be relocated downtown Kingston by June

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is hoping to occupy its new headquarters in downtown Kingston by June this year.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith says the costs of the relocation could "not be fully accommodated" in the Estimates of Expenditure for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in April 1.

"Additional budgetary provisions will, therefore, be required  and sought in due course in order to undertake that exercise," said Johnson Smith.

She was speaking in Gordon House this morning where the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament is examining the budgetary allocations to her ministry.

Johnson Smith noted that moving into the new building, overlooking the Kingston waterfront, will provide substantial savings to the government, but indicated that it was too early to determine how much.

"I don't think that a clear saving has been identified," she said.

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