Parliament · House of Assembly
Opposition presses Friday government on borrowing, deficits and fuel debts
Questions filed for Thursday’s House sitting also probe the Delta route cut, rising crime and fresh calls for fuel subsidies.
The Opposition has lined up a battery of questions targeting the state of government finances for the House of Assembly sitting on Thursday 27 August, with borrowing, deficits and fuel-related debts dominating the order paper.
Leader of the Opposition Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Opposition Senators Carlos James and Keisal Peters have filed a coordinated set of oral and written questions that press Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Godwin Friday on how the central government is managing its cash position midway through the year.
On the oral side, Gonsalves wants an updated summary of the central government’s fiscal out-turn for 1 April to 31 July 2026, measured against the same four-month period in 2025. He is also seeking the extent of the “Local Loans” raised from the $200 million budgeted for the exercise between 1 July and 15 August, together with the interest rates and amortisation periods attached to the borrowing.
A separate Gonsalves question asks the government to state the sums, if any, still owed to fuel importers Sol and Rubis under the bonus/malus system for gasoline, diesel and low sulphur diesel between 1 May and 31 July.
The written questions sharpen the same line of inquiry. Senator James is demanding a quarter-by-quarter account of the fiscal deficit and revenue losses for the first two quarters of 2026, isolating the losses tied to uncollected taxes, customs duty exemptions, Value Added Tax exemptions and emergency relief spending. He has also filed for a full picture of the government’s short-term domestic borrowing as of August, including the outstanding balance and maturity dates on Treasury Bills issued on the Regional Securities Market, the utilisation level of the overdraft facility at local commercial banks, and the total interest cost of servicing that debt.
Cost of living runs alongside the finance questions. James is asking whether the government intends to roll out further targeted subsidies for low-income households and for registered minibus and taxi operators, citing inflation driven by fuel price shocks.
The Delta cut also reaches the floor. Senator Peters is asking the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation whether the government held any discussions with Delta Air Lines before the carrier announced it would discontinue its non-stop Atlanta to Argyle service in September, whether Delta disclosed a reason for the decision, and if so, what that reason was.
Crime features prominently as well. Senator James is pressing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security on the current national crime reduction strategy, including measures aimed at gun-related and interpersonal violence and the resources being put behind the newly appointed police leadership team to curb homicides.
Several other questions round out the paper. Gonsalves is seeking the compensation agreed and paid so far for the acquisition of Balliceaux, an update on the former “Black Sands” project at Peter’s Hope, and the status of capital projects to be financed by the Saudi Fund for Development. Peters has filed a detailed set of questions on the Public Assistance Board, the M.O.V.E transport service for persons with disabilities, and praedial larceny losses, while James is probing green financing for the renewable energy transition and stalled lighting works at several playing fields.
On the legislative side, three bills are down for first reading: the Financial Services Authority (Amendment) Bill, the Companies (Amendment) Bill and the Legal Profession Bill. Two others, the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill and the Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Amendment) Bill, are listed as deferred.
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