The Montserrat Legislative Assembly has passed a supplementary appropriation bill granting the government access to an additional EC$26 million.
The budget boost includes just over $9.87 million from the government’s consolidated fund and $16.19 million from its development fund.
It will be added to the government’s previously budgeted $157.54 for government operations and programmes and $106.34 million for development.
The money will be spent across several ministries with some of the most notable costs including $15.89 million for the hospital project and $7 million for ‘claims against government’.
The Supplementary Appropriation (2024) (No. 2) Bill was read a first, second and third time on 21 January before being passed into law with minor changes.
Premier Reuben Meade on presenting the bill said it sought to “authorise some variations in expenditure, moving around some old money and including some new funds”.
Operations and programmes
Meade said the new bill would add $9.87 million to the $157.54 million granted in the Appropriation Act of 2024 and a previous supplementary appropriation for government operations and programmes.
He read through the allocation of each additional expense, the majority of which will go to cover salaries until the end of the fiscal year along with allowances, pensions and gratuities.
The $7 million for ‘claims against government’ will go to “matters which we met, but we’re clearing them up”, the premier, who also acts as finance minister, said.
A total of $280,000 will go to the prison services for “urgent repairs” at His Majesty’s Prison in Brades.
Strategic management will receive $95,000 for the payment of the Canadian health insurance licence fee for five months plus support staff.
Primary healthcare will be given $73,200 to cover increases in expenditure relating to the Visiting Specialist Programme, Meade said.
Secondary healthcare will receive at total of $676,700 for specialised positions, an increase in maintenance costs, and preventative maintenance on critical equipment.
And finally, social services will be awarded $427,600 for medevac referrals, food packages, funeral grants, and home care for the elderly.
Development
The premier explained that in addition to the $106.34 million set out in the Appropriation Act of 2024 and and a previous supplementary appropriation for development, the new bill would add $16.19 million.
Meade said $40,000 to the ‘expand and diversify the tourism product’ project will go to buy a welcome sign and pay for social media and communications management materials for the Tourism Authority.
A total of $80,000 under the project title ‘develop visitors attraction and amenities’ will go to “bring various components of this project to a close”, the premier said.
Another $11,900 for the Biodiversity and Conservation Programme will go to pay a Darwin Plus fellowship.
The ‘management of the invasive fire ants’ will be awarded $159,600 – funds which were originally provided by the UK’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
The money will be spent on a feasibility and viability study which will include the collection of samples, and the development of strengthening of regulations on biodiversity actions.
An allocation of $130,700 will go to the Housing Assistance Programme for grants and financial assistance, and $15.89 million will go to the hospital development project.
The hospital project money was previously awarded to Montserrat by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to fund additional works.
The bill also sought to reallocated $120,000 from the ‘protect and enhance the natural environment’ project to the ‘expand and diversify the tourism product’ project.
Supporting the bill
Infrastructure minister Veronica Dorsette-Hector was the first to stand to offer her support to the bill and said the allocations “speak to growth, protection and also ensuring that our people are well looked after”.
“As much as I would have liked to have some of this money for beautifying the environment and for roads, I will defer. I wholeheartedly support where these monies are now going,” she added.
Opposition leader Paul Lewis also stood to support the bill, and in a lengthy speech went through several of the allocations, expressing where he agreed and also raising concerns on certain expenditures.
He asked whether the $7 million for legal claims against the government would pay for an $8 million claim previously mentioned in the Montserrat Legislative Assembly.
Lewis added that it is unfair for taxpayers who “are in most cases innocent” to have to pay money for claims against the government.
Opposition member Donaldson Romeo, who also stood to support the bill, said he was happy to see the funds allocated for “good reason”.
He added that as well as having limited funds, the government is new so they cannot be blamed for what the face and have to “patch up and fix” what they can.
Romeo went on to give a detailed account of the bill, highlighting several allocations individually and raising what he saw as unanswered questions.
After the debate, the bill was reviewed by the committee of the house before being read a third time and passed into law.
Read the act in full here.
