QUESTION OF THE DAY
The budget speech of the Minister of Finance made reference to the National Development Plan. We hope copies will soon be put into circulation for public information and review. According to the Minister, “The National Development Plan (NDP 2018 – 2021) identifies the highest priority development expenditures to help achieve sustained high growth and improved lives for our citizens”. He promised that “the 2018 Budget will start moving some of the NDP’s key flagship projects and initiatives.
However he cautioned that “against the backdrop of the debt overhang, we are committed to ensuring that the execution and, in particular, the financing of flagship programs, does not further undermine our debt situation. We will work closely with our Development Partners in pursuit of this goal as we mobilize resources for the NDP.”
This means that the implementation of the plan will depend largely on the goodwill of development partners. The Government should therefore provide copies to the press for public information and discussion.
