BY NED GAGAHE

AFTER five days of intense debate and scrutiny, Parliament has passed the 2026 Appropriation Bill 2025, approving a total government expenditure of SBD$5.6 billion for the 2026 financial year.

The Bill went through the Committee of Supply and the Third Reading without any amendments and was passed on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

Speaker Patterson Oti declared the Budget approved.

The passage of the Bill authorises government spending amounting to SBD$5,605,482,104, and also sets annual borrowing limits in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act 2013.

These include provisions for Treasury Bills during exceptional situations and borrowing facilities through development partners or local financial institutions to support key infrastructure and development priorities.

Minister of Finance and Treasury, Rexson Ramofafia, confirmed during the third reading that the Bill had emerged from the Committee of Supply unchanged.

He highlighted the Government’s medium-term objectives under the 2026 Budget, which include:

• Achieving average GDP growth of 3–5 percent, driving increased economic activity in rural and urban areas and boosting employment by around 3 percent.
• Keeping domestic inflation at or below 3 percent.
• Maintaining sustainable budget balances consistent with projected revenue and financing capacity.
• Ensuring debt levels remain manageable.
• Gradually rebuilding cash reserves through surplus revenue transfers.
• Budget Aims for Transformative Change

Earlier, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said the 2026 Budget represents a shift away from “business as usual” toward a more proactive and transformative direction, guided by the theme:

“Accelerate Economic Transformation: Resourcing the Resourced for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development.”

He said the Budget is anchored on six core development objectives:

• Promoting transformative and sustainable economic growth
• Maintaining affordability in the national budget
• Safeguarding fiscal stability
• Improving service delivery through quality and targeted spending
• Strengthening national unity and empowering communities
• Advancing good governance and accountability

“These objectives highlight the areas central to our work next year,” the Prime Minister said. “With these priorities in mind, my Government will continue its efforts across all sectors and provinces.”

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