The Leader of the Opposition Ralph Gonsalves challenged the 2026 budget on several fronts, characterizing the estimates as “treading water dangerously.”
Fiscal Skepticism
• Deficit Concerns: The Opposition argued that the $15.5 million deficit, when combined with amortization requirements, creates a massive funding gap that could lead to an IMF intervention.
• Borrowing Reliability: Skepticism was expressed regarding the government’s ability to raise $200 million in local loans in a timely manner, predicting potential delays in salary payments and project implementation.
• “Arithmetic of Scarcity”: The Opposition stated that “the numbers don’t lie,” suggesting the budget fails to provide for necessary wage increases beyond the one-time bonus.
Programmatic Omissions
The Opposition identified several high-profile projects from the previous administration that they claim are now “on ice” or “killed,” including:
• The Arnos Vale New City Development.
• The modern Parliament building and the National Science Technology Laboratory.
• The hotel at Mt. Wynne.
• The “Solidarity Fleet” expansion and various community recreational parks.
Spending Criticisms
Specific criticisms were leveled at a 1.5 million∗∗allocation for the PrimeMinister’s residenceand∗∗600,000 for a new fleet of vehicles, which the Opposition contrasted with the $150,000 allocated for informal human settlements.