Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee will today discuss variation of the 2016 Budget involving increases and decreases in expenditure for 11 ministries, including proposed increases for the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and National Security, according to Parliament.
Today’s deliberations by the Government and Opposition MPs are expected to help set the basis for Friday’s delivery by Government of a mid-year review. Finance Minister Colm Imbert, in the 2016 Budget, had said he would undertake a mid-year review of some measures. This will be announced at Friday’s parliament session.
Today’s Finance deliberations are expected to examine proposed decreases in expenditure for the Ministries of Education, Health, Housing, Sport and Social Development.
Also to be discussed are proposed increases in expenditure for the OPM, National Security, Labour, Community Development and Planning Ministries, as well as for the Parliament.
Whatever decreases and increases in expenditure are finalised, these are expected to form part of review plans being announced in Friday’s review statement by Imbert. At the end of 2015, following the oil price drop, Government had mandated a seven per cent cutback in ministries’ spending.
During the Standing Finance Committee meeting, the proposals for decreases in appropriation will be considered first, followed by the proposals for increases. The committee has the power to summon relevant accounting officers and technocrats to provide information and MPs have five minutes speaking time.