FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2026
VOLUME 120, No. 07
Cuban DMOs to go Page 3
www.thevincentian.com
CBI coming Page 12
TAX FREE
Mia does it again Page 14
EC$1.50
Bullets in sandwich Page 23
4th and 5th homicides Page 24
$1.9B BUDGET
THERE ARE NO NEW TAXES included in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2026 Budget of Revenue and Expenditure amounting to EC$1.9 billion, nearly EC$200 million (2%) increase over last year’s budget. Dr. Friday assured that the increased budget will be financed through improved revenue collection, concessional loans and grants, alongside the re-establishment of a Fiscal Responsibility Framework aimed at reducing deficits and gradually lowering public debt to the Eastern Caribbean benchmark of 60 percent of GDP by 2035. The Budget includes recurrent expenditure, including amortisation and sinking fund contributions of EC$1,308,319,855. Financing for the 2026 budget, according to the Prime Minister, is expected to come from current revenue of $906,875,230 and from capital receipts totalling $978,734,735.
amounted to EC$624.1 million between 2022 and 2025; * launch a nationwide property registration and revaluation exercise to update the valuation list (unchanged since 2013) and broaden the tax base, “without increasing Measures to enhance and rates”; stabilize * assess options to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT), As far as measures to including a potential reduction enhance revenue, stabilize and in the general rate and the grow the economy, Dr. Friday removal of VAT from essential spoke of improving goods (such as fresh food and administrative efficiency, and medicine) and domestic towards this end the electricity, with a target government is set to: implementation date of * tackle high national debt October 2026; while emphasizing climate * launch a Citizenship by resilience and infrastructure, Investment Programme (CBI) including specific investments by the middle of 2026, to in water security. mobilise capital without * reduce total import increasing debt; concessions by 20 percent * strengthen the which is expected to generate effectiveness of the Inland an additional $30.4 million in Revenue Department and the revenue without abolishing Customs and Excise concessions entirely; this Department, to wit, Dr. Godwin Friday, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, entails reducing concession granted by the Cabinet, which Continued on Page 3. delivering his maiden Budget Address, Feb. 02, 2026. The 2026 recurrent estimates, not including amortisation and sinking fund contributions, amount to EC$1.01 billion. The capital expenditure is EC$577,209,110.
AIRPORT WOES TO BE ADDRESSED by DAYLE DASILVA IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE that the runway of the Argyle International Airport’s (AIA) is proving to be a recurring problem. And the New Democratic party government is committed to undertake an exacting solution to the problem. As per the Budget Address of Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Godwin Friday, delivered in Parliament on Mon. 09, 2026, the AIA Continued on Page 3. The recurring problems of holes appearing in the runway of Argyle International Airport have caused the cancellation of flights.
Below: The recurring problems of holes appearing in the runway of Argyle International Airport have caused the cancellation of flights.