Finance
Budget passed but Opposition Abstains
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, May 23, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos’ largest ever budget has passed, but it went without the seal of approval from the Opposition after weeks of back and forth between the country’s two major political parties.
The country now has $424 million at its disposal for this financial year.
It is money that the PNP Government says will fund projects that fulfil its citizens’ contract, address inflation, improve infrastructure and more.
At the same time the Opposition PDM Party had little faith in its ability to get money directly to the people, and Opposition Leader Edwin Astwood along with Opposition Appointed Member Alvin Garland, took the PNP to task over what was described as an “Historic Budget of Constraints.”
In their contribution on the National Budget, the Opposition pointed to severe budget cuts within various departments from Police to Education and the Department of Corrections. Highlighting also what they cited as flaws in the plan and exaggerations of better and unique spending under the Washington Misick led administration.
E Jay Saunders, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister says the Budget will address funding for the Informal Settlement Unit; Modernising E-Gates for Border Services; provide funding for the TCI National Credit Union; see to
Even after days of debate lasting from May 16th -19th, the two sides could not come to an agreement regarding allocations resulting in Astwood and Garland’s decision to abstain, rejecting the National Budget in an historically rare move.
A key point of the Opposition was that the public’s funds were being shifted to consultancies and utilities rather than projects for residents.
Washington Misick, TCI Premier defended the state of the budget, cuts and all, maintaining that a single line item in the budget could not be isolated from their associated projects and used to judge the budget. He described that as a ‘fool’s errand’.
Residents were left to make their own decisions on the Budget and its objectives after a wealth of information was shared from both sides of the House.
Finally, after more than 24 hours in total over four days in the House of Assembly, held in the HJ Robinson High School, Deputy Premier Saunders, as instructed by House Speaker Gordon Burton, made a motion for the bill to pass.
Indicative of the deep divide and high tensions between the two sides on the issue, instantantly there was a flurry of activity off screen as two MP’s called out to second the Budget bill. The Opposition immediately called out for a division and the Speaker tried to wrest back control of the HOA.
A division requires all members to individually answer aye or nay to the bill in question, instead of the usual general chorus; making it more obvious for the record to reflect exactly who voted for, against and abstained.
In this case, all PNP Members of Parliament voted for the Bill to pass as did the Governor’s Appointed Members; the two Opposition Members abstained.
The National Budget passed with 14 ayes.