Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke has sought to assure that work on the south coast highway leading to St. Thomas, will begin in this quarter.

The issue was raised today (Jan 15) during the Standing Finance committee meeting, as members deliberated on the supplementary estimates for 2018-2019.

Opposition Spokesman on Finance Mark Golding noted the delay in expenditure for several projects, including the highway, and asked if the changes in budgetary allocations were due to a systemic weakness, or to create fiscal space.

Dr. Clarke said the change was not about creating fiscal space, but a means of seeking the best contractual arrangement, resulting in a delayed timeline for the highway project.

The minister said he expects procurement for the project to begin within a few weeks.