Budget debate kicks off tomorrow

The debate on the 2019 budget is to begin in the House of Assembly on Thursday, April 25.

Premier and Minister of Finance Andrew Fahie said the debate will take place tomorrow as well as on Friday.

The Premier had presented a budget estimate of $426 million earlier this month. The Ministry of Health & Social Development received the largest share of the budget with a commanding 20.9 percent followed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries & Agriculture with 15.4 percent.

The Ministry of Transportation, Works & Utilities has been allocated 14.6 percent while the Ministry of Finance received an estimated allocation of 13.4 percent.

The Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour & Immigration received the smallest slice of the budget — 2.7 percent.

The budget must pass no later than April 30.

Government is currently operating on what is colloquially termed as a ‘temporary budget‘. This temporary budget came into effect at the end of December 2018 when the House of Assembly agreed to dip into to the territory’s Consolidated Fund to withdraw $138.9 million so government could continue to operate after the start of this 2019 financial year (as it prepares the new budget).

The House agreed at the time that the temporary budget can only run for four months and will expire on April 30.