The 2023-2024 Budget Debate opens next week in the Jamaican Parliament.

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke will open the debate on Tuesday (March 7), telling the nation how the Government will finance its over $1-trillion budget.

All eyes and ears will be listening out for the tax programme which will be used to finance the budget. For the last two fiscal years, the Government has avoided the imposition of new tax packages, on each occasion introducing a no new tax budget.

Clarke’s opposition counterpart, Julian Robinson, will continue the debate when he speaks on Thursday (March 9), giving the People’s National Party’s perspective on the national budget and putting forward an alternative budgetary programme.