National Budget Statement 2024 presented by the Honourable Colm Imbert, MP, Minister of Finance in the House of Representatives on Monday 2nd October, 2023.

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to this Honourable House the Budget Statement for the financial year 2024. However, it is only fitting that before starting I thank Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, our Prime Minister and Leader of this PNM Administration, for his support and understanding over these past 8 years.

Indeed, I have had the pleasure and privilege to manage the fiscal affairs of this country as Minister of Finance since this Administration assumed Office in September 2015.

Madam Speaker, it needs to be repeated that eight (8) years ago, in 2015, when we were elected to Government, our economy was confronted with exceptional and challenging difficulties because of a collapse of oil and gas prices that started in 2014, coupled with declining oil and gas production and an unhelpful petroleum tax regime. Our detractors do not wish to acknowledge these truths and would prefer that we pretend it was not so, but this is the stark reality we faced.