It was budget day in Anguilla on Wednesday afternoon, November 28. Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Hubert Hughes, presented three sets of estimates for the 2013 budget as follows: Recurrent Expenditure: $188.12 million, an increase of $ 4.61 million over the estimated budget in 2012 of $183.50 million which is an increase of 2%. Recurrent Revenue: $193.1 million – an increase over the 2012 figure by $3.5 million.
Capital Expenditure: $32.6 million. This is to be sourced from the EDF 10 Programme (EC$13.16 million), grants from Development Agencies, the Private Sector, Foundations and the UK Government (EC$3.25 million); Reserves (EC$12.49 million) and Loans (EC$3.7 million).
Othlyn Vanterpool
It is to be noted that while no new taxes have been listed in the 2013 Budget Address, the Chief Minister said that the marginal increase in revenue of $3.5 million over the 2012 figure, “is based mainly on the broadening of the tax base of existing taxes to be implemented during the budget year.”
It is likely that, in due course, the people of Anguilla will hear about some of the actual taxation measures to support the 2013 budget. This is despite a statement in his Budgetary Address in which the Chief Minister said:
“I am always conscious of the repercussions of increasing taxes in a stagnant economy. This is why we continue to resist the demands of the FCO for us to introduce new taxes in 2013. We find that to be counterproductive and will not serve in the best interest of the people of Anguilla.”
Observers commented that “time will tell.”
The budget is to be debated in the House of Assembly at a later date.
Meanwhile, Governor Alistair Harrison has written to the Speaker, the Hon. Barbara Webster-Bourne, in connection with the 2013 budget. The letter, which came to the attention of The Anguillian, stated: “I am writing that I have not yet received instruction from London on whether to assent to the budget that is to be debated by the House this afternoon. I anticipate that the budget will be discussed by the Chief Minister and Mark Simmonds, the Minister for Overseas Territories, in London next week.”
The Governor copied his letter to all members of the Anguilla House of Assembly.
