The Standing Finance Committee (SFC) deliberations, which are being held at Richard C. Stoutt Building in the capital city, Road Town, are not open to the public. Photo: VINO/File

Members will be going through the Appropriation (2023) Act 2022 Clause by Clause after the Minister of Finance and Premier, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), presented his first Budget as head of a coalition Government on November 29, 2022. Photo: YouTube

Members will be going through the Appropriation (2023) Act 2022 Clause by Clause after the Minister of Finance and Premier, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), presented his first Budget as head of a coalition Government on November 29, 2022.

The deliberations, which are being held at Richard C. Stoutt Building in the capital city, Road Town, are not open to the public.

We need more funds- Department Heads

During SFC deliberations, public sector agencies and Central Government Ministries and Departments are called in to testify and justify their budget requests and most often argue for more funds.

The Ministry of Finance, including the Financial Secretary (FS) and senior staff, are there throughout the SFC meetings to answer questions and be the main resource of the committee. The FS is also questioned by legislators about the Territory’s debt, money in the bank and other fiscal matters. The meetings will be chaired by the Hon Speaker Corine N. George-Massicote.

In Tuesday's Budget Address, which lasted for more than 1 hour and 45 minutes, Minister of Finance Dr Wheatley presented a conservative budget of $399.33M for 2023, which represented a decrease of $21.17M compared to the revised budgeted expenditure for 2022.