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BRADES, Montserrat — Premier of Montserrat, Donaldson Romeo, presented an EC$170.8 million (US$63.23 million) budget for 2015/2016 in the Montserrat Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The recurrent budget is EC$127,368,300, which is for salaries and other operating costs.

The Capital budget, which covers development projects and specified buildings maintenance, is EC$ 43,421,800.

The EC$170,790,100 budget excludes new Department for International Development (DFID) capital projects that are still to be agreed upon.

Some of the major new spend items incorporated into this budget include:

• Reinstatement of Increments EC$488,400
• Maintenance of GOM Housing Stock EC$120,000
• Agriculture Food Strategy and other Activities EC$60,000
• Marketing and Education for Agriculture EC$20,000
• Repairs to Vulnerable EC$100,000
• Social Protection (Work Incentives, Foster Care, etc.) EC$421,800
• Labour Market Survey EC$185,000
• Maintenance of Schools EC$340,500
• Additional Scholarships EC$ 200,000

Key projects included in the overall allocation are:

• Port Development EC$1.5m
• Housing Programme EC$5m
• MUL Genset EC$10m
• Geothermal Exploration EC$4.1m
• Energy EC$3m
• Government Accommodation EC$2.2m

This was Romeo’s first budget statement to the nation following his People’s Democratic Movement (PDM’s) victory at the polls last September.

The budget debate will be held on Friday March 27, 2015.