by Linda Straker
- Bowen’s second budget presentation
- Appointed to post of Finance Minister in October 2020
- Bowen expected to develop on plans and policies presented in Throne Speech in October 2021
Finance Minister Gregory Bowen has confirmed that he will be presenting the 2022 Budget or Estimate of Revenue and Expenditure on Friday, 26 November 2021.
Bowen is expected to develop on the plans and policies presented by Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade when she presented the traditional Throne Speech during the ceremonial opening of the Fifth Session of the Tenth Parliament in October 2021.
The Throne Speech shared with the public some of the broad areas of focus for the Government for the upcoming Parliamentary year. The Budget presentation will provide citizens with more information about how Government will enforce measures to achieve the plans, programmes, and initiatives of the broad areas.
She had then informed the Nation that Government’s framework for policy implementation remains within the 2020-2035 National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP). The vision is for the country to be a resilient and prosperous nation, with a conscious and caring citizenry, promoting human dignity, and realising its full potential through sustainable economic, social, and environmental progress for all.
The priorities for the next 3 years, she said, are set out in the Medium-Term Action Plan 2022 – 2024, which draws on the NSDP. “The rolling three-year Medium-Term Action Plans (MTAPs) will be the vehicles through which the NSDP is implemented. The agenda for 2022 will also be informed by the recommendations of the Cabinet-appointed Economic Taskforce as well as input from broader stakeholder consultations,” Dame Cecile told the Nation.
She also said that under the agenda for 2022 Government will continue to act decisively to protect the lives of every single citizen as the world enforces various initiatives to combat the effects of Covid-19. “In this regard, my government cannot overemphasize the importance of adhering to the Covid-19 protocols and other proven measures, including vaccination, to mitigate the risk of serious illness and death.
The government held several stakeholder consultations as part of the process of preparing the Budget which is being presented under the theme: “Towards Vision 2035: Protecting Lives, Safeguarding Livelihoods, and Investing for Growth and Resilience.”
This will be Bowen’s second budget presentation since he was appointed to the post of Finance Minister in October 2020. Previously, Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell served as Finance Minister.
