Premier promises ‘honesty and truth’ in budget speech

Premier and Finance Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley has pledged to deliver a budget that is different from what other leaders have given the territory in the past and shared that it will be one of honesty and truth.

“I think if persons tune into the budget, they’re going to hear some exciting information. But they’re also going to hear me give them honesty and truth about things that we need to do to build a sustainable nation, areas that other administrations have been reluctant to do over time,” Dr Wheatley said in an interview with ZBVI.

Premier Wheatley is set to deliver his second budget address at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) at 10 AM today. It will be his first budget after being elected to a second term in office, this time as leader of the Virgin Islands Party after elections held earlier this year.

During the budget address, Premier Wheatley is expected to discuss the state of the territory’s economic and fiscal performance as well as the government’s fiscal strategy and outlook for 2024.

Premier Wheatley said his government made commitments to the people of the territory and noted the passage of the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) which he said contains several urgent priorities. According to the Premier, those priorities are reflected in the budget which he hopes will be passed sometime in December.

The Premier said this year’s budget theme will be ‘Planning, Priorities and Progress: Building a Sustainable Nation’. He noted that it provides a clue to what the government will be focused on moving forward.

“In the course of four years, you can’t do everything, but you have to focus on some key areas that you want to accomplish within the four-year period. So that requires some level of prioritisation,” the Premier said while alluding to the NSDP.

Dr Wheatley also pointed to several areas he highlighted as high-priority areas, such as the high cost of living in the territory and salaries. He also said the government needs to focus on building education, and healthcare and also rebuilding the territory’s dilapidated infrastructure.

Last year, Premier Wheatley presented a budget of $399.33 million as leader of the government of National Unity following the arrest of former Premier Andrew Fahie.

More than 83 per cent of that amount – some $335.08 million – was directed towards the territory’s recurrent expenditure, with just $41.59 million allocated for capital expenditure, the premier said back then.