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HoA SFC concludes on 2017 Budget; No date for Debate

- The Standing Finance Committee ended its deliberations on January 27, 2017; Next step is Budget Debate!
From left: Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith (AL) and Financial Secretary Neil M. Smith. The Standing Finance Committee ended its deliberations on the 2017 Budget on January 27, 2017. Photo: VINO/File
With the Standing Finance Committee ending its deliberations on January 27, 2017 the next step is the Budget Debate in the Virgin Islands’ House of Assembly. Photo: VINO/File
With the Standing Finance Committee ending its deliberations on January 27, 2017 the next step is the Budget Debate in the Virgin Islands’ House of Assembly. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Behind closed doors the House of Assembly’s Standing Finance Committee (SFC), one of the few functioning committees of the whole House, met a day after the 2017 Budget Address was delivered on Monday January 16, 2017 by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL).

Once the Budget is cleared by the committee, the next step is a debate then the passage of the 2017 Spending Bill.

The SFC meeting, where the media and public are shut out, is a session where Elected Officials meet privately with senior public officers to consider their funding requests and question them as to why the monies are required or raise issues on vexing matters of their Department or Statutory Board.

It was on Friday January 27, 2017 that the last department was summoned, which concluded the session. However, no Budget Debate Date has been announced, according to senior National Democratic Party (NDP) Officials, who always speak to our newsroom on government matters and information.

SFC has no money?

What we were told is that the SFC proceeded swiftly because of lack of funds, at times struggling to have a quorum of elected Members, with at least two government Members always absent, along with one Opposition Member, names of which we have.

There is also growing debate in the media and civil society that the SFC meetings should be televised just like the Budget Debate so the public could have a real understanding of the procedure, after all it was the ruling NDP that promised  the people “government in the sunshine.”

Notwithstanding, at the end of the deliberation an official written report is issued; however, since the 2011 election it has been watered down with many key discussion items and answers to questions deliberately left out.

14 Responses to “HoA SFC concludes on 2017 Budget; No date for Debate”

  • Wow! (04/02/2017, 13:23) Like (7) Dislike (5) Reply
    Could you imagine that foy was missing but still wants to be leader of the opposition?
  • Oh Oh (04/02/2017, 13:24) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    ARE WE THAT BROKE?
  • Boo (04/02/2017, 13:37) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Broke set of cookie jar men
  • Well Sah (04/02/2017, 14:59) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    incompetence staring us straight in our faces
  • Financial Crisis (04/02/2017, 15:48) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well with this new lawsuit BVI Beacon just disclose against the NHI guess we better go back to the days of farming.

    http://www.bvibeacon.com/1/index.php/news-articles-2/2429-february-2-2017/local-news-feb-2-2017/9679-jipa-out-and-suing-over-nhi
  • fish (04/02/2017, 16:36) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Some body needs to force us back to the polls
    • Reply (05/02/2017, 12:04) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The vip is fortunate that there are still bloggers on line to make his (weak) case to return the vip to power
  • Boo (04/02/2017, 21:04) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    This sham of a Committee is finished? Not a thing will change
  • persia (05/02/2017, 13:00) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    If you combine the budgets since the NDP took over without no audited financial reports you can buy out Trump
  • robert (05/02/2017, 13:04) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Waiting on the crack down on white colour crime in the BVI


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