Office of the Prime Minister

Cabinet Meeting - 7th March, 2006

Belmopan - 08 March, 2006.

Cabinet considers budget proposals for 2006/2007

At its meeting today, Cabinet considered proposals for the draft estimates of revenue and expenditure for the fiscal year 2006/2007 submitted by the Ministry of Finance, and approved the draft for presentation to the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister proposes to read the Budget Speech on Friday, March 17, 2006 and the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24, 2006.

The draft estimates of recurrent revenue propose no new tax measures above the General Sales Tax which has already been passed into law.

Ministers agreed that the policy emphasis for the new budget will continue to be on health, education and poverty alleviation, and therefore the portfolios which address these concerns will continue to receive the greater portions of the proposed allocations.

Details of the budget will be presented to the House of Representatives and the general public when the Prime Minister reads the budget speech on Friday, March 17, 2006.

The next Cabinet meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2006.

For further information contact:

ROBERT LESLIE
Cabinet Secretary

March 7, 2006.