Budget 2016: Shift in Budget focus

MINISTER OF FINANCE Chris Sinckler says the annual budgetary proposals have come to overshadow the real “budget” – the Estimates.

The Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals presentation has evolved over the years into a major public event much anticipated by several segments of the population. In many respects it has overshadowed the Estimates exercise that by law must be engaged every financial year.

“While it is always useful to have elevated levels of public interest in any part of the governance process, at times, in my view, far greater emphasis and expectations could be placed on particular events than they were ever conceptualised or intended to serve,” Sinckler told the House of Assembly yesterday.

He said the Budget had come to represent a forum to address all those issues for which every sector, investor and institution expected the minister responsible for finance to solve all of the economic challenges facing the country, while satisfying every demand made of the Government by the various interests. (ES)

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