The Minister for Treasury and Economic Development, Mark Brooks, delivered the 2024/25 budget speech today, June 3, 2024, to the Legislative Council of St Helena. The full text of the budget speech is available online at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Budget-Speech-2024-Final.pdf.
In his opening remarks, Minister Brooks stated: “Last year I used the Budget Speech to call for a change in mind-set.” He emphasized the pressing issues facing the island and called for collective efforts from the private sector, non-government organizations (NGOs), individuals, and the government to build a better future. “We all need to work as a team to achieve our common goals,” he said.
Minister Brooks outlined a vision aimed at enabling St Helena’s people to build their own futures and create opportunities without leaving anyone behind. He stressed the importance of creating an environment conducive to thriving businesses and individuals while preserving what makes St Helena unique. Additionally, he highlighted the need for improved government service delivery to ensure sustainable provision of essential services.
The budget includes a 3% increase (£1.0 million) in Financial Aid from the UK Government compared to the previous year’s budget, bringing total funding from the UK Government to £34.1 million. This amount includes an additional £500,000 earmarked for tourism industry development and £1.0 million allocated by His Majesty’s Government (HMG) for essential equipment.
Minister Brooks expressed gratitude towards HMG for their continued support through Financial Aid. In concluding his speech, he thanked both HMG and the Saint Helena community: “I started by thanking HMG for the ongoing support and I would like to end by thanking the Saint Helena community for all their support in making some of the highlights of the year a success.”
He also summarized recent successful visits by notable figures such as the Duke of Edinburgh and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, as well as events like the Show Case event and British Islands and Mediterranean Regional conference delegation. He acknowledged: “All of this Mr Speaker wouldn’t have been the success it was if not for the people of St Helena.”
The motion to consider the Appropriation Bill 2024 stands adjourned until Wednesday, June 5, 2024, when details will be debated by Legislative Council.
Proposed allocations for recurrent expenditure in Appropriation Bill 2024 are:
- Central Support Service — £10.4 million
- Attorney General’s Chambers — £0.1 million
- Safety, Security and Home Affairs — £2.9 million
- Judicial Services — £0.1 million
- Treasury — £7.9 million
- Police Operations — £0.9 million
- Economic Development — £5.8 million
- Education, Skills and Employment — £3.6 million
- Health and Social Care — £9.5 million
- Environment, Natural Resources and Planning — £1.7 million
The total proposed recurrent expenditure is £42.8 million with an additional £5.7 million provided via standing appropriations for pensions and benefits.
A further £0.6 million is allocated for capital expenditure across portfolios including Safety, Security and Home Affairs; Economic Development; Education, Skills and Employment; Health and Social Care.
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