Budget 2024: Recurrent expenditure is estimated to reach $1.1 billion or 17 per cent of GDP in 2024.
The largest component of recurrent expenditure is Wages and Salaries which is budgeted at $461.1 million.
It includes a 9 per cent salary increase for central government employees at a cost of $32 million.
This will complete the 14 per cent increase and takes effect from 1st January 2024.
The budgeted amounts for the other recurrent expenditure items are as follows:
- Goods and Services – $210.6 million.
- Interest Payments – $131.9 million.
- Transfers – $295.6 million. This includes pensions and gratuities of $74.9 million; employer contribution to Social Security and Medical Benefits of $47.9 million, and $38.4 million for Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.
Projected capital expenditure is $196.3 million or 3.1 per cent of GDP.
Though still below the preferred level of 5 per cent of GDP, it reflects the government’s intention to increase investment in infrastructure development and implement projects that will lead to real economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, $130.6 million of our $196.3 million capital budget is geared towards infrastructure development. Of this amount, $82.8 million is for road rehabilitation, and $33.5 million for building repairs and maintenance.
To ensure effective fiscal discipline, Ministries and Departments must be responsible and prudent in the use of the Government’s limited resources. Government agencies will be held to greater accountability for the management of their budgetary allocations, to yield better value for money.
Before I turn to the ministry allocations, I want to announce that the Cabinet recently approved up to 14 per cent increase for government pensioners.
This is in acknowledgment of the challenges faced by our retired public servants due to escalating prices over recent years.
These people have played pivotal roles in shaping our country, and it is our duty to provide them with the means to live comfortably and with dignity.
A committee has been assigned the task of developing a plan to implement this increase for government pensioners in 2024.
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Antigua government have these prisoners living like animals they don’t even give the descent food to eat so pathetic they get all this money to take care of them and the inside of the facility is disgusting 🤮
Seriously? Well tell your man, your brother your nethew and whoever else to stay outside of prison The maths is not hard
Where is the two months salary that you took from us because we chose life over death? Enquiring minds would like to know. Repent. The wrath of God is not easy.
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