Minister of Finance Audley Shaw rolling in increased taxes.
The GOJ approved increased spending in the second half of the year by $10 billion but still ended the year underspending the amounts allocated to be spent by $5 billion.
After a mere 5 months of the current fiscal year to August, the Minister of Finance has amassed a tidy $14.6 billion more than forecast for the government coffers.
According to data released by the Ministry of Finance, tax revenues are $11 billion higher than originally forecasted, thanks to 37 percent surge in corporate profit taxes, that added nearly $6 billion to the surplus, and $9 billion from indirect taxes, mainly local GCT and special consumption taxes.
Government operations (GOJ) raked in a small surplus for August, pushing the year to date surplus to $5.6 billion, after capital inflows of $11.4 billion, that was originally included in the budgeted forecast. The net position on GOJ operations, is $21.5 billion better than planned and pushed the primary surplus to $52 billion or $19.5 billion better than planned.
Interest cost ended $2 billion lower than projected and should enjoy even lower cost, going forward, with the recent cut in Treasury bill rates, by over 50 basis points.
GOJ revenues inflows have been extremely buoyant since the drop in budgeted inflows for the fiscal year to March 2015. While 2015 fiscal year came up short of budget by $16 billion with revenues at $412 billion, 2016 came in with $50 billion more than the out turn for 2015, at $456 billion and 2017 with total revenues of $514 billion, was $52 billion more than for 2016.
Grace Kennedy closed 45 cents higher at $43.45, with 170,391 stock units, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading 30 cents higher at $18.80, with 19,831 shares, Jamaica Producers ended trading with a loss of 45 cents at $15.05, with 25,823 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with a loss of 1 cent at $7.99, with 17,681 shares. JMMB Group closed with a loss of 30 cents at $22.70, with 46,302 stock units trading, Kingston Wharves closed 50 cents higher at $31.50, with 1,177 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 70 cents at $4.10, with 35,723 shares changing hands, 1834 Investments ended at $1.38, with 5,000 stock units trading, 
PanJam Investment traded 55 cents higher at $43.05, with 36,636 shares, Portland JSX concluded trading with a loss of 28 cents at $9, with 10,000 units, Pulse Investments traded 25 cents higher at $1.65, with 25,236 units, Radio Jamaica ended trading with a loss of 4 cents at $1.11, with 17,206 stock units, Sagicor Group finished at $34.53, with 222,778 shares trading. Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished with a loss of 72 cents at $13.08, with 76,479,720 units, Scotia Group settled $2.90 higher at $49, with 57,385 units, Seprod closed at $30, with 31,820 shares, 
The level of trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange fell sharply on Tuesday from the levels on Friday, resulting in an exchange of 533,674 units valued at $2,239,006 compared to 2,098,509 units valued at $11,226,036 on Monday.
In contrast, September closed with average of 234,437 units valued at $1,295,260 for each security traded.
Dolphin Cove settled 1 cent higher at $17.50, with 1,000 units, Express Catering traded with a loss of 16 cents at $4, with 22,544 shares, General Accident closed at $2.50, with 25,000 units, Honey Bun finished 20 cents higher at $4.50, with 2,000 units, Jetcon Corporation settled 22 cents higher at $4.50, with 84,479 units, Key Insurance finished with a loss of 25 cents at $4, with 4,000 shares. Knutsford Express settled 34 cents higher at $14.89, with 1,000 units, Lasco Distributors closed with a loss of 5 cents at $6.25, with 13,000 stock units changing hands, Lasco Financial rose 40 cents to $4.15, with 141,296 shares, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 40 cents to $4.20, with 19,750 units, Main Event gained 10 cents to end at $5.10, with 44,794 shares, Paramount Trading concluded trading at $2.80, with 8,900 units, Stationery and Office closed with a loss of 10 cents at $4.75, with 38,095 units and in the junior market preference segment, Eppley ended trading 5 cents higher at $6.55, with 4,525 stocks units.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped for the third day in a row rising 2,504.83 points to close at a new record close 294,165.86 on Tuesday, helped by jump in the price of 
Caribbean Cement rose $1.2 to $28.50, with 17,475 shares, Carreras surged $1.35 to a new 52 weeks high of $13.50, with 544,289 stocks units, Grace Kennedy ended at $43, trading 1,307,292 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed with a loss of 10 cents at $18.50, with 961,908 stocks units traded. Jamaica Producers concluded trading at $15.50, with 313,406 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange settled 50 cents higher at $8, with 104,300 shares, JMMB Group traded with a gain of 75 cents at $23, with 55,994 units, Kingston Wharves ended with a loss of $1 at $31, with 177,500 stocks units, NCB Financial had 166,223 shares changing hands after falling $1.40 to end at $86.60. The remanent of former Gleaner Company, 1834 Investments ended with a loss of 2 cents at $1.38, with 1,000 units changing hands, PanJam ended $1.50 higher at $42.50, with 350,918 units, Portland JSX concluded trading with a loss of 2 cents at $9.28, with 16,570 units. 
Proven Investments traded 541,000 units and rose 4 cents at $25.05, Pulse Investments concluded trading with a loss of 30 cents at $1.40, with 52,264 units, Radio Jamaica finished 4 cents higher at $1.15, with 294,243 stocks units, Sagicor Group ended trading at $34.53, with 7,095,313 units, Sagicor Real Estate X Fund rose 30 cents to $13.80, with 1,200 units, Scotia Group finished with a loss of $1.90 at $46.10, with 772,000 units, Seprod settled at $30, with 2,785 shares, Sterling Investments concluded trading 5 cents higher at $12.05, with 201,700 stocks units and Supreme Ventures concluded trading 30 cents higher at $10.81, with 123,652 stocks units.
JSE Index surged by 3,007.04 points to close at 265,736.18 with 13,618,629 units valued at $432,506,372 changing hands in the main market, compared to 5,005,392 units valued at 111,349,381 on Friday. In the US dollar market JSE US dollar Equity Index dipped 8.15 points to 176.81. 
Trading ended with the market sentiments looking positive for Monday trading activity as 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with lower offers.
Jamaican Teas finished with a loss of 10 cents at $3.90, with 14,003 stocks units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4.50, with 176,657 units, Key Insurance concluded trading at $4.25, with 36,935 stocks shares, Knutsford Express rose 9 cents to $14.89, with 300 shares, Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 8 cents at $6.30, with 237,602 units, Lasco Financial traded 2 cents higher at $4.02, with 58,760 stocks units. Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading at $3.80, with 216,256 shares, Main Event closed 25 cents higher at $5.25, with 22,653 units, Paramount Trading ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2.70, exchanging 1,000 shares, Stationery and Office finished at $4.80, with 323,000 stocks units and tTech finished with a loss of 50 cents at $7.05, with 200 stocks changing hands.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange made strong gains in the indices at the close of the week and for September, leading to gains of 37 percent for the year to date. 
Caribbean Cement ended trading with a loss of $1.20 at $27.30, with 126,250 stock units, Carreras closed with a loss of 35 cents at $12.15, with 376,643 shares, Grace Kennedy ended 40 cents higher at $43, with 88,357 units, Jamaica Broilers concluded trading 60 cents higher at $18.60, with 64,504 units, Jamaica Producers ended 40 cents higher at $15.50, with 1,574,959 stock units changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange finished with a rise of 50 cents at $7.50, with 115,657 shares, JMMB Group traded with a loss of 11 cents at $22.25, with 495,589 stock units trading, Kingston Properties gained 40 cents to $7.40, with 5,000 units, Kingston Wharves concluded trading with a loss of 1 cent at $32, with 19,250 stock units, Mayberry Investments settled 70 cents higher at $4.80, with 204,020 shares, 
NCB Financial Group had 542,955 shares changing hands after rising $1.20 to end at $88. 138 Student Living settled 5 cents higher at $4.80, with 200 stock units, PanJam Investment finished at $41, with 34,989 shares, Portland JSX traded 5 cents higher at $9.30, with 6,385 shares, Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.11, with 421,563 stock units. Sagicor Group ended 48 cents higher at $34.53, with 233,535 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed with a loss of 30 cents at $13.50, with 43,815 units, Salada Foods concluded trading at $8.50, with 7,400 shares, Scotia Group jumped $2.89 to $48, with 46,200 stock units, Seprod settled with a loss of $1 at $30, with 3,000 stock units and Supreme Ventures closed with a loss of 30 cents at $10.51, with 9,900 shares trading.
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 283,480 units valued at $3,630,990 and previously 286,773 units for an average of $3,573,357. In contrast, August closed with average of 536,395 units at $1,905,441 for each security traded.
PanJam Investment traded $5.09 higher at $41, with 38,430 shares, Radio Jamaica ended at $1.12, with 319,721 stock units, Sagicor Group ended with a loss of 20 cents at $34.05, trading 35,641 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund concluded trading $1.75 higher at $13.80, with 57,493 shares, Salada Foods traded 50 cents higher at $8.50, with 10,250 units. Scotia Group rose 10 cents to $45.11, with 1,117,306 shares, Seprod closed $1 higher at $31, with 23,889 shares and Supreme Ventures ended trading with a loss of 29 cents at $10.81, with 7,384 units.