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Budget Allocations Comparison: St. Kitts and Nevis – Terrence Drew’s Vision Unveiled for 2023-2024

The budget presentation for the fiscal year 2023-2024 by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance , Dr. Hon.Terrance Drew, has set the stage for an interesting period in the development of the federation as the new Drew Administration having already served almost 20 months in office will now have to show their mettle as the honeymoon period has long passed and the people and the country have had enough of the excuse of immaturity and lack of experience in the implementation of major transformative developments and programmes and policies. The budget, totaling EC$1.09 billion, signifies an effort to deepen the COVID-19 recovery process and stimulate growth for a more resilient future. The theme, “Towards our transformation as a Sustainable Small Island State,” underscores the government’s commitment to sustainable development.

A detailed analysis of the budget allocations for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 fiscal years reveals significant changes in the allotments for various ministries. The following table highlights the increase or decrease in budget allocations for each ministry:

Ministry	2022-2023 Budget (EC$)	2023-2024 Budget (EC$)	Change (EC$)
Governor General Office	1.933 million	1.694 million	-0.239 million
Parliament	2.1 million	1.374 million	-0.726 million
Audit Office	1.5 million	1.518 million	+0.018 million
Justice and Legal	14.1 million	10.361 million	-3.739 million
Office of the Prime Minister	100 million	113.821 million	+13.821 million
National Security, Citizenship, and Immigration	98 million	79.384 million	-18.616 million
International Trade, Industry, Commerce, and Consumer Affairs	6.3 million	5.657 million	-0.643 million
Ministry of Finance	307 million	196.055 million	-110.945 million
Social Development and Gender Affairs	43.2 million	41.24 million	-1.96 million
Agriculture and Fisheries	25.1 million	18.495 million	-6.605 million
Tourism, Civil Aviation, and International Transport	44.5 million	27.655 million	-16.845 million
Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport	66.6 million	24.182 million	-42.418 million
Education	111.8 million	97.267 million	-14.533 million
Health and Social Security	93.8 million	79.286 million	-14.514 million
Sports and Creative Economy	19.1 million	11.716 million	-7.384 million
Sustainable Development	15.5 million	8.737 million	-6.763 million
Foreign Affairs	20.2 million	20.776 million	+0.576 million
Attorney General	13.1 million	11.217 million	-1.883 million
Employment and Labour	6.3 million	2.456 million	-3.844 million
Housing, Human Settlement, and Faith-Based Affairs	6.7 million	2.163 million	-4.537 million
Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment	8.5 million	7.176 million	-1.324 million
Information, Communication Technology, and Post	13.4 million	12.747 million	-0.653 million
Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing, and Disabilities	2.4 million	2.966 million	+0.566 million
Economic Development and Investment	2.6 million	3.958 million	+1.358 million
Small Business and Entrepreneurship	1.2 million	2.151 million	+0.951 million

As the budget debate progresses, these changes in allocations signal a strategic realignment of priorities and resources to address the evolving needs of St. Kitts and Nevis. The government’s commitment to fostering growth and resilience will undoubtedly be scrutinized in the coming months, as citizens and stakeholders assess the impact of these budgetary decisions on the nation’s future.