Special Cabinet Meetings and Cabinet Retreat to Precede Budget Debate

In addition to its regular Monday meeting, the Cabinet is to hold two special meetings this week on Thursday, 15th January and Friday, 16th January.
The additional Cabinet meetings this week have pre-empted the post-Cabinet Press Briefing which was scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 14th, and which will now not take place.
Meeting Agenda/Cabinet RetreatThe agenda of the Thursday Cabinet meeting, which starts at 11:00 a.m., will focus exclusively on the fiscal and macro-economic outlook and projections for the 2009/2010 year and will inform the sharpening of the strategic priorities for the upcoming financial year.
The special Cabinet meetings are a precursor to the Cabinet Retreat which is scheduled to be held from Friday, 30th January to Sunday, 1st February.
Press Conference by Tourism MinistryWhat will be taking place tomorrow (Wednesday, January 14th) is the first press conference for 2009 by the Ministry of Tourism during which the Minister, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett and Chairmen and Executive Directors of the Tourism Agencies will provide the media with a general tourism update.
The press conference will take place at the Tourism Boardroom, starting at 11: 00 a.m.
Budget DebateMeantime, the Honourable Olivia “Babsy” Grange Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports is announcing that the Budget Debate will commence on Thursday, 16th April when the Honourable Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and the Public Service makes his presentation. This will be preceded by the Throne Speech to be delivered by the Governor General on 2nd April. The Standing Finance Committee will meet from Tuesday, 7th April to Thursday, 9th April to consider the Estimates of Expenditure for the fiscal year 2009/2010.
The Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Dr. Omar Davies will make his contribution to the Budget Debate on Tuesday, 21st April.
The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, Leader of the Opposition will speak in the Budget Debate on Thursday, 23rd April.
The Prime Minister, the Honourable Bruce Golding will make his presentation on Tuesday, 28th April.
The Budget debate will be closed by the Finance and Public service Minister on Wednesday 29th April.