On September 12th 2023, Parliament met and ratified the passage of another supplementary budget. This brings the total 2023 Estimates for recurrent expenditure to EC$253.8 million and a revised capital total to EC$41.6 million.
According to the Honourable Acting Premier, Mr. Kenneth Hodge, a portion of the new supplementary budget will be used to facilitate the completion of the new Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School compound in the Quarter.
“This supplementary budget provides additional resources to support both capital and recurrent expenditure with a strong focus on education and social services,” Mr. Hodge said. “Primarily, this supplementary represents the unwavering commitment of this government to invest in the education of our youth.”
“As we all know, education is the cornerstone of progress, and it is through the nurturing of our young minds that we pave the way for a brighter future,” the Acting Premier said. “In this supplementary budget, we have allocated a substantial amount of funds for capital expenditure in the education sector. A significant portion of these resources will be dedicated to completing the development of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School campus.”
Though Mr. Hodge did not give any pertinent information in terms of what specific amounts will be allocated to the education sector, he did state that in addition to the development and completion of the Quarter Campus, portions of the supplementary resources are also earmarked for repair work at the primary schools and the purchase of school buses.
“Additionally, we have allocated resources for minor renovations at our primary schools, assuring that our youngest learners have safe and conducive environments for their education,” the Acting Premier said. “Furthermore, the purchase of school buses will help improve access to education, thus reducing barriers to learning for our children.”
“In light of other social benefits which will be supported by the supplementary,” Mr. Hodge said, “we are committed to provide adequate recurrent expenditure to support our public assistance programmes and other essential social services. It is our duty to ensure that every citizen has access to the support they need particularly during challenging times.”
The supplementary budget was passed at a time when both the Honorable Premier and Minister of Finance and the Honorable Minister of Social Development and Education were away on government assignments in the UK.
