$24 million for ‘covert operations’

According to an appendix to the Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial Year 2010) Bill, 2011, which was laid in the Senate, a total of $568.8 million in variations was due to the new Government coming into power, introducing new ministries and meeting debts and demands for which the previous Government had not allocated.

The document breaks down several areas of expenditure heads for which allocations are to be shifted.

Page 87 of the appendix notes that “projects under covert operations were deferred until fiscal 2011” and that this amounted to $24.4 million. There are also plans for “the procurement of items by the SSA” which account for a figure of $3.8 million, according to the document.