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GIU – The Department for International Development (DFID) officials began their first mission visit to review Montserrat’s national budget on Thursday, January 24.
The meetings are scheduled to take place from January 24 to 30 at the Cabinet Secretariat and will look at the projections for expenditure and revenue for the government in the coming financial year which begins April 2013.
The team will first meet with His Excellency the Governor Adrian Davis and the Honourable Premier Reuben T. Meade. Later that day, they will look at the planned 2013/14 budget estimates including domestic revenue projections and policy objectives. It is also expected that the teams will review the variations in revenue and spending for the 2012/2013 against the budget estimated and the impact of external developments.
Other areas to be discussed throughout the mission are the retention and recruitment issues and a review of the Technical Assistance posts and capacity development funding for 2013/14. There is to be a video conference meeting with the DFID Head Office to look at reforms as laid out in the May 2012 Memorandum of Understanding as well as a session with the members of the Opposition.
The DFID mission team comprises: Karen McGeough (Montserrat Programme Manager), Douglas Winslow (Senior Economic Advisor), Mary Thompson (Social Development Adviser), and Kato Kimbugwe (Private Sector Advisor and in-country representative).
The Montserrat team is represented by: John Skerritt (Financial Secretary), Mr. Alric Taylor, Deputy Governor, Lindorna Brade (Deputy Financial Secretary), Mrs. Daphne Cassell, (Chief Human Resource Officer), Mrs. Angela Greenaway, (Cabinet Secretary), Joseph Irish (Director of Economic Management), and Colin Fergus (Budget Director).
