The Ministry of Finance is expected to receive the largest slice of the 2019-2020 budget.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement while presenting the 2019/2020 National Budget on Tuesday.
The total allocation to that ministry is $244.6 million which includes amounts of $23.6 million for the payment of interest and $48.8 million representing debt amortization and sinking fund contribution.
“The sum of $36.5 million represents retiring benefits paid to former public officers as well as the payment of compassionate allowance and non-contributory pensions to citizens over the age of seventy,” Skerrit explained.
He said the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development will receive the second highest allocation of $77.5 million.
“Government continues to recognize the importance of education to the development of our people and nation,” he stated. “An additional $2.0 million is allocated to the Dominica State College [DSC]bringing the total subvention to $6.2 million.”
The prime minister said this increase is in keeping with the recent policy decision to eliminate tuition fees at the DSC and other new programmes to be implemented.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has been allocated $72.4 million or 11.8 per cent of the total recurrent budget, while the Ministry of Justice, Immigration and National Security will receive an allocation of $54.4 million dollars which is $4.2 million above last year’s allocation.
“This higher budget allocation will, in part, finance the approved increase in the size of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force by one hundred (100) to six hundred (600) officers,” Skerrit stated.
He went on to say that the increase in the size of the police force will augment the number of officers in the various divisions and units to ensure optimal efficiency and productivity within the police force.
The amount allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and Ports is $36.3 million or 5.9 per cent of the recurrent expenditure.
According to the Prime minister, “The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs each has been allocated $19.3 million and $19.4 million, that is 3.2 per cent of the total each. The Office of the Prime Minister receives an allocation of $19.2 million or 3.1 per cent of the total.”
He said expenditure on Goods and Services account for 39.1 per cent of the total or $239.0 million and the sum of $179.0 million or 29.3 per cent of the total is estimated for meeting the cost of personal emoluments which is made up of salaries, wages and allowances.
“Total expenditure related to transfer and subsidies totaled $115.4 million or 18.9 per cent of the total recurrent budget,” Skerrit revealed.
Mr. Skerrit and Melissa operate as though Dominica is a monarchy. Mrs. Skerrit is so into the British Royalty traditions that her hat perfectly matches the hat of Queen Elizabeth the Second when she goes on official duty. All this woman can do is to take her clothes to parliament. There is very little between the ears. Can anyone be so kind as to give an accurate account of Mrs. Skerrit’s academic profile and her work experience?
“Can anyone be so kind as to give an accurate account of Mrs. Skerrit’s academic profile and her work experience?”
Sir/Madam IBO France I agree with you fully on this matter. These people want to go after our intellectual, Professionally versed Hon Lennox Linton. Linton is versed, focus, trusted, forward looking, has our People and our Dominica in mind and wants to see us and our Dominica rise up to the standard of decency, good governance towards a better Dominica. Here are some Skerrit’s failure:
1. All this woman can do is to take her clothes to parliament.
2. There is very little between the ears.
3. Can anyone be so kind as to give an accurate account of Mrs. Skerrit’s academic profile,
4 and her work experience?
That way we know that this woman is not Government nor is she Parliament savvy, or intellectual enough to talk of, or on behalf of our Dominica. We don`t need two failed Skerrites talking immature language on our behalf. You Skerrites, go home and leave our…
Let’s see now… One Billion 💵, divided by 70,000 is equal to $14,285?
😒
Garson, that would do me good wii.
I wish to question Melisa presence in the the nation Parliament, dressed like a half baked thanksgiving turkey.
What is Melisa purpose in the peoples parliament?
That woman is not an elected member of the government, just being married to Roosevelt does not give her parliamentary privilege.
I don’t remember in the history of the nation any Chief Ministers or Premiere and Prime Minister took their wife’s into the parliament.
Are they (Melisa and Roosevelt) pretending Melisa is a minister of government too; running Dominica along with Roosevelt?
Francisco, If that is the only comment you can make about the Pm wife, l am happy it means that Labour is hitting all the right notes thank you.
Mrs. Ali Baba looks like a half picked duck!
Mr. Dog, I do not care about, nor do I respect adulterers, and adulteress women, who enter into convenient wedlock, and when they get a green card, they leave their husbands and run!
Gaining residence in a country under such circumstance is illegal.
I thought somebody took away your computer, or smart phone, or you went to jail that is why DNO site was so peaceful for a few days.
Anyway if you were sick, glad you overcome it, and return to Roosevelt fight war!
Have a happy day.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Mr Dog, stop barking woof woof nonsense. You are caught up in this illiterate league of Skerrit and now his so called Melissa. Who on earth is Melissa, and what are her qualifications to be hanging about our parliament? Or is it that failed Skerrit just need another political pappyshow hanging about him who has no points of intellectual to talk to Dominicans. We need Skerrit out, and we need that Madam Melissa out of our politics, Cabinet, Parliament and other matters of state that does not concern you. We had enough of Clown failed Skerrit and you are of no help. Please stand back and let us have failed Skerrit out of our government. He has been this ridiculous failed Odd Minister. Skerrit Must Go.
We look forward for our decent, intellectual Hon. Lennox Linton and his highly professional Intellectual UWP Team.
Skerrit must Go. Melissa must move on away from our business.
So the king brief case even has to match the queens dress? :
rTwo immature, show off, immature political clowns. What else can we expect nuh?
We d not ned this weird Circus and exposure. Keep family matters at home and we know this Skerrit is highly immature and that is why we Dominicans are asking that he gets out of our government and also his failed corrupt Labour Party too must go.
Why?, because Skerrit and his failed corrupt useless Labour Government has failed we the people of Dominica. Our farmers are suffering, our vendors are suffering and to add insult to injury this so called Political prime (ODD) Minister opens a forgery red Clinic with hundreds of people quing up at the Financial Centre to receive handout states cash from this failed Skerrit, who has bypass and disrespected the Office & professional workers of the Welfare Division who assess and assist our poor parents & families, But Skerrit does this scam for fame & Votes.
We await change, in Hon. Lennox Linton as Prime Minister and his trusted, highly Professional UWP Team.
Boy the Prison Ministry should receive the largest piece of the pie because I suspect many people will end up there if they don’t commit suicide
lol…lol…lol…nice one. I am really looking forward to this. “Thou shall not steal…” “Thou shall not abuse States funds”. Thou shall not abuse the Office of Prime Minister and its belongings”. “Thou shall not take for granted and abuse the vulnerable people of Dominica with “use and distribution of states funds” through the use of states funds”.
These are shamefull behaviour we know has been on gong for years to this day and we need to know where is the Director of Audit” that “State designated Person who has been assigned and is responsible to oversee the proper use of states funds and that it is not used for gaining fame and votes from our suffering unemployed struggling people.
This failed corrupt Labour government has failed us, the people of Dominica under the failed incompetent immature Skerrit. That man should never have been running a country at that level much less for a Youth Group or Chairman/Director of a any Board. Not even Youth Group. Skerrit Failed…
Right now the main stay of the economy is the cookout money they paying to drug dealers and yet, pm made no mention of that in his budget address
Can you all not see Roosevelt Skerrit killed Dominica? We behaving like a person that k owes his loved one is dead but because of love we trying to convince ourselves that our loved one is alive. People let’s get over it man!!! Skerrit has killed Dominica and when the election date will be announced it will be nothing than the funeral of our country. Boy nobody selling at the market, our supermarkets not selling. Eggs not selling, clothes not selling, weed not selling nothing is selling…the country is dead dead dead. Never have I seen such a disaster!!!!
This corrupted liar, talks about building International Airport; yet he has a budget he claims totaling twenty billion dollars, nevertheless, we have not read one single word about X amount of money to build an international airport.
Watch people the International Airport is his most important gimmick, when he come out lying about airport, ask him how much is in the 2019/2020 budget to be used in building this international airport.
Dominicans get rid of Roosevelt Skerrit in 2020; as long as Roosevelt is prime minister Dominica will forever be a backward place where people shall be consumed in poverty.
Progress can only come from work, employment, having a job!
Welfare is not a good thing; in fact we do not even have a welfare system in the country; the three hundred dollars per month given to people over seventy in a brown envelope noted on it “from the prime minister” indicates a handout from Roosevelt, and not a legitimate State welfare system.
The budget is an estimated amount of expenditures for the following year. The cost of the airport is not yet decided so chances are the total cost is not at hand. But that is still not a real concern because you can have an advance warrant (below the line account) which can be adjusted through supplementary estimates. It does not have to be in the budget to happen. If it is finance by foreign aid the money may not be part of the Consolidated fund because some countries like to keep control of their money and spend it themselves.
There is a misconception that ministers of government can write checks and spend money. Checks are written by the Accountant General office on the voucher application of the P S, the accounting officer.
John do you real understand the term bugged?
How can you present a budget without mentioning an amount for doing something.
The term budge means:
“Allow or provide a particular amount of money in a budget.”
Estimate is a noun; which means:
” An approximate calculation or judgment of the value, number, quantity, or extent of something.
“When one estimate the cost of something, it is never a firm figure, the amount can exceed the anticipated amount, or be less than the anticipated amount.
A budget is firm; nothing can be added, or taken away!
“Finance ministry to receive largest slice of 2019/2020 budget” My dear Dominicans, please keep eyes open and be concerned about this labour statement. Its makes absolutely no sense to us at all. What is all this money doing at the Prime Minister Office when the Governemnt has what is referred to as “Vote” Expense Budget Book to monitor and audit the finances of the state. This does not belong to Skerrit. I am skeptical and suspicious of all this money going into the hands of Skerrit when his ministry is not an expense office, compared to these Ministries: 1. Education etc, 2. Home Affairs/Local Government, 3. Health Etc, 4. Communication & Works. There is not and should not be a Bobol mysterious Ministry in the Office of the Prime Minister. This is dangerous and should not be allowed. Where the hell is the Director of Audit, or is he scared of Scare-ritt? Yes the same Skerrit.
We need for records of 1. The passports fiasco, 2. the Bin & Fertilizer Bobol deception. 3. The Red…
No mention of “Cool out”?
This is not unexpected for Skerrit to allot the most financial resources of the state to this particular Ministry that he oversees. General Election is nigh, let the squandermania begin. Look at the pattern. Under his rudderless stewardship, every year of election, the government expenditure goes through the roof, in fact, more appropriately, through the clouds. Bribery, corruption, enticement and vote buying is feverishly at work around this time. After the election, for the next 4 1/2 years, Dominica is financially bruised and battered. The promises never materialize, the ‘Cool OUT’ money finished, and the people resort to licking their wounds as they have been tricked one more time. Dominicans, don’t be led down any rabbit hole again by Skerrit and his soulless disciples. Vote for a Real Change for unity and prosperity. United we stand, Divided we fall.
Who is going to watch the money, surely not yours truly. Yours truly should not be trusted with millions of dollars it should be under the control of trustees appointed from all over the island. Too much temptation to divert funds to overseas personal bank accounts. The money handlers need to be watched like a hawk with audits conducted every week.
“The ministry of Finance to receive the largest slice of the 2019-2020 budget” “brother where you get you degree in Finance from nah” you move all Government departments under your ministry and we know why so you can “boblo” the peoples monies at your whims and fancies. Garcon you can jump high jump low one day soon we will get our money back.
The total allocation to that ministry is $244.6 million which includes amounts of $23.6 million for the “payment of interest and $48.8 million representing debt amortization and sinking fund contribution” Skerrit, please tell us honesty where the hell did this money go, to what expense group? We need answers Skerrit, we need you to account for a this looseless talk that makes no sense to us, therefore the value of your talk is baseless, clueless and questionable. We need our books to be publicly audited, with high level of Transparency and that we get the true picture and details of our tax and states revenue and expenses.
This Labour government, headed by this questionable Odd Minister it appears maybe fleecing our limited financial revenue and reserves. no wonder we are not getting anywhere in development of our island. This disguise and distraction of building houses will not fool us, as we continue to see deplorable state of our Dominica. We need serious audit on their assets.