House passes budget

THE House of Representatives yesterday passed the $43 billion budget, after five sittings of its Standing Finance Committee over the past week.

However each Opposition MP abstained when a division was taken during the committee, which agreed the budget by 21 votes 'for', none 'against' and ten 'abstentions'.

MPs asked details of some 41 heads of expenditure, such as ministries, Judiciary, Tobago House of Assembly, Service Commissions, Parliament and the Office of the President.

Housing Minister Edmund Dillon told the committee of a $4 million allocation for the demolition and reconstruction of a burnt-out mall at 41 Independence Square, the site of the former Drag Mall. No date was set for the House to resume, but the Senate sits on Friday to begin its debate on the budget.