The House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands. Photo: Internet Source

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley presented a $488,699,871.00 budget for 2025 during the Twenty-first Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth HoA on Monday, November 11, 2024. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

This committee, comprising the whole House of Assembly (HoA), examined the proposed 2025 Budget clause by clause.

Permanent Secretaries, their Department and Unit Heads, and Statutory Bodies appeared before the committee to answer questions mainly from the Opposition benches.  Many Departments came with prepared presentations with hopes of getting more money for their department plans and programs and were encouraged by the Opposition benches to press for more funds.

Where is the FS?

At one point the hearings ended abruptly when the Financial Secretary (FS) Jeremiah G. A Frett was not in attendance.  One Senior Legislator asked about his whereabouts and the response given was not acceptable therefore the meeting ended.  There was also a one-week break because Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and the Deputy Premier Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) were away from the Territory on duty for a short while.

The last date of the SFC hearings was Thursday, December 12, 2024, and the Budget debate is expected to start by Wednesday 18, December 2024.  The 2025 Budget is expected to pass before the year's end.

Under the theme ‘Laying the Blocks of Success’, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr Wheatley presented a $488,699,871.00 budget for 2025 during the Twenty-first Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth HoA on Monday, November 11, 2024.