Skerrit to present an EC$680.7 million budget on Tuesday
There's a $26 million increase in recurrent expenditure and a $129 million hike in the capital budget
When parliament meets on Tuesday next week, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit will present to the nation a budget of EC$680,798,190 for the fiscal year 2016-2017. The recurrent budget is $367,459,001 and the capital budget is $313,339,189.
The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development receives the largest chunk of the recurrent budget -$68,020,463; followed by the Ministry of Finance -$58,100,594 and the Ministry of Health and the Environment-$54,760,180. The Ministry of Kalinago Affairs receives the smallest slice-$372,102.
From the capital estimates the Ministry of Public Works and Ports receives $137,254,540 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries -$25,368,698; the Ministry of Health and the Environment-$33,233,853; the Ministry of Trade Energy and Employment-$24,405,901 and the Ministry of Housing , Lands and Water Resource Management-$32,414,128.
Compare Last Year's Figures
Comparatively, last year the prime minister presented a recurring budget of just over EC$341; recurrent budgets include salaries and wages. The largest slice (EC$66,785,390) went to the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, with EC$52 m to the Ministry of Health and EC$51m to the Ministry of Finance.
Last year the capital budget (capital budgets include grants for capital projects) was EC$184m.
A quick calculation shows that Government intends to spend $25,720,903 more this year on salaries, wages and supplies and materials- the recurrent budget. The sum for capital projects is $129 million more than in the 2015- 2016 fiscal year. The increase, though details are not provided in the brief figures provided today by the Clerk of the House of Assembly, are probably due to the rehabilitation to roads and infrastructural works after Tropical Storm Erika. It may also include the building of the China-funded national hospital.
During next week's meeting of Parliament, which starts at 10 am on Tuesday 26 July 2015, the President of Dominica His Excellency Charles A. Savarin will deliver his annual address to parliament.
Prime Minister Skerrit will also seek Parliament's approval to borrowing EC$31,500,000 from local banks to meet the Government's overdraft requirements and EC$ 36,500,000 to guarantee overdrafts to statutory and public corporations.