Budget announcement today

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning is expected to announce Monday October 4 as Budget Day when the House of Representatives sits today at 1.30 pm. The 2003/2004 financial year ended yesterday and Government officials believe Manning will move to present the Budget in Parliament on Monday. The Budget was originally due to be presented in Parliament on September 6 but was postponed to early October due to Manning having a pacemaker implant in Cuba on August 20.  Officials have said October 4 is the most feasible date for Budget Day, given the time required to debate and pass the Budget in both Houses of Parliament before the statutory deadline of October 31, Manning’s recent engagements in the US and his intention to return to Cuba for a medical evaluation either in late October or early November. Should October 4 not be feasible, officials hinted at October 6 being an alternative Budget date.

Manning has confirmed exclusive information obtained by Newsday that the total 2004/2005 fiscal package is $22 billion and the original Budget date was September 6.  The Ministries of National Security, Health, Education and Science, Technology and Tertiary Education are expected to be the Budget’s major beneficiaries. However hints from Manning and other Government ministers within recent weeks also indicate that there will be greater allocations for disaster relief, works and transport and local government bodies. Officials said once the Budget is presented in Parliament, the Opposition UNC will be allowed three days to peruse its documents and Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday should open the Budget debate in the Lower House on Friday. The UNC has been holding pre-Budget talks meeting with representatives of business, labour and non-governmental organisations throughout this week at Panday’s Port-of-Spain office.

St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran said the purpose of these discussions is to prepare the Opposition for the debate. He identified the creation of sustainable employment and concerns about Government’s social sector programmes as two areas which the UNC will be focusing on in the debate. Today’s sitting is expected to be a heated one with Minister in the Ministry of Finance Christine Sahadeo opening debate on the Caroni (1975) Limited and Orange Grove National Company Limited (Divestment and Business Development) (No 2) Bill 2004, and Attorney-General John Jeremie presenting a motion to approve the Privileges and Immunities (Caribbean Court of Justice-CCJ, Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission and the CCJ Trust Fund) Order 2004. The UNC has repeatedly criticised Government’s policies on Caroni and has refused to support CCJ legislation until there is constitutional reform. The House’s Privileges Committee is also due to meet today to deliberate on a recent incident in the Parliament’s tea room between Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma.