Up to 8:00pm on Tuesday there was no indication of Parliament meeting to – starting in the Central Committee – handle the 2024 budget. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs since a week ago said (see related story) it had been sent to the legislature by Governor Ajamu Baly.
The question is what unanimously-elected President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and the new URSM/DP/PFP/NOW majority are waiting for. After all, the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT has set a clear deadline for approval of this year’s budget before the end of the first quarter.
Perhaps the intention is to do so with a freshly-appointed government already in office, but such a political strategy would not be free of risk. “Formateur” and expected prime minister Luc Mercelina is scheduled to present his final report by March 4, but prospective cabinet members need to be screened as well, which has been known to take several weeks.
Besides, the current draft budget was prepared by the outgoing Jacobs II Cabinet and having its caretaker ministers defend such makes sense, even though four of the seven are presently members of parliament (MPs) while still serving as ministers until successors can be installed. Making major changes at this stage is hardly possible anyway, certainly regarding the bottom line.
Whatever policy adjustments without adversely affecting the financial result may be entertained in amendments later, once a governing programme is firmly established. At this point, a pragmatic budgetary approach seems required.
