Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance is currently finalizing plans for his presentation of the 2013/2014 Financial Budget.
Honourable Skerrit, in an exclusive interview last Wednesday, told GIS news that preparing the annual budget has become increasingly challenging.
According to the Dominica Leader this challenge is not unique to Dominica but amidst the global economic crisis “it’s always a difficult period for any country to put a budget together.”
He indicated that whereas challenges remain the same and even increase in recent times, the acquisition and allocation of financial resources to offset these costs is always uncertain.
“Any challenges you have in a society, you require money. How do you apportion this money over the number of needs in a country?”
The Prime Minster in comparing the national budget to budgeting at home explained that whereas an individual’s salary is fixed and certain, “all of [Government’s] revenue streams are projected. As you go along you raise the money,” he stated.
Prime Minster Skerrit further explained, “there are fixed costs, [public servants must be paid], [we] must provide medication at the hospitals, [we] must provide police with required resources, roads must be maintained [and] schools need supplies. As part of regional and international organizations [we] must be able to pay the bills. These are all fixed costs. There are things that must be paid but projected revenue may not necessarily be acquired. It’s a challenge but I think we will certainly get some way.”
Honourable Skerrit revealed that in very short time he will inform the country of the actual date for the budget presentation