UPDATE: March 22-23, 2016 is new date for 2016 Budget Debate
The new date set is March 22-23, 2016 to debate the Appropriation Act or the Budget. Two other dates were set before after the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Assembly (HoA) wrapped up its deliberations some two and a half weeks ago. One of those dates included March 10-11, 2016, a story first reported by our news site.
The same NDP source said that date conflicted with some important travel and other items on Ministers' agenda.
It is unclear if this new date of March 22-23, 2016 will be kept, however, the source said “we now have consensus for this new date…as we are getting closer to the deadline for a Budget…”
Under law, the Budget must be passed by April 1, 2016. In January of this year the Dr Smith led second term Administration passed a temporary spending measure to keep the government running.
In addition, Minister of Finance and Premier Smith delivered his 2016 Budget Address on February 8, 2016 at the Sixth Sitting of the First Session of the Third HoA.
Dr Smith presented a $331 Million USD Budget that included higher taxes on the poor, higher work permit fees, and higher rates for many of Government's services, including water. The 2016 Budget also called for millions in new Capital Works.
The Opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) has described it as “a tax and spend” Budget.
See previous article published February 25, 2016
2016 Budget to be debated on March 10-11!
- Standing Finance Committee meeting wraps up
Word just into our newsroom from our senior National Democratic Party (NDP) sources is that the 2016 House of Assembly‘s Standing Finance Committee ended its deliberation on the 2016 Budget earlier this week.
The Standing Finance Committee (SFC) is a committee of the whole House that considered the 2016 Appropriation Act, which is the Government’s spending Bill.
During the SFC, all Department Heads, Permanent Secretaries and Statutory Bodies are called to testify before the SFC to defend monies requested and how the last Budget was spent.
SFC matters are closed to the public and the media.
The next step will be the Budget debate which will be from March 10-11, 2016. According to the same senior source, this schedule was worked out to ensure that all 13 legislators were in the territory as many are “in and out” on travel.
In January of this year, the D. Orlando Smith Government passed a provisional spending measure to keep the government running until the passage of the Budget which must be done by law before April 1, 2016.
Budget of higher taxes on poor
Earlier this month, Minister of Finance Dr Smith presented a $331 Million USD Budget that included higher taxes on the poor, higher work permit fees, and higher rates for many of Government's services, including water. The 2016 Budget also called for millions in new Capital Works. The Opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) has described it as “a tax and spend” Budget.
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