2026 budget submission delayed, preparation process still ongoing

GREAT BAY--By law, the Government of St. Maarten is required to submit the draft annual budget to Parliament by September 1st of the preceding year, as outlined in Article 100 of the Constitution of St. Maarten. This means the 2026 budget should have been presented to Parliament by September 1, 2025.

However, The Peoples’ Tribune understands that the budget preparation process is still ongoing and the draft budget has not yet been submitted. The budget not meeting the September date is not a new occurrence as multiple administrations have struggled to meet this date.

The preparation of the national budget is a multi-step process that requires input from all ministries. Each ministry must submit its own budgetary specifics, including proposed expenditures, policies, projects, and where applicable, necessary budget cuts. The Ministry of Finance then consolidates this information into the overall national budget.

While the Ministry of Finance is responsible for compiling the final document, the process is entirely dependent on timely submissions from each ministry. If ministries are late in submitting their figures and priorities, the preparation of the national budget is delayed as a result.

Over the years, this inter-ministerial factor has consistently contributed to missed deadlines for budget submission. According to reliable internal sources, the same situation is unfolding again with the 2026 budget.

The delay in presenting the draft budget means that the country faces yet another late start in parliamentary handling of the budget before the turn of the new year, though this is still very much possible.

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