RESOLUTION OF HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO APPROVE AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO LAY THE ESTIMATES – SECTION 32(4)
Commencement [26 February 2021]
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS it is provided under section 32(4) of the Public Finance Management Act, (the Act), that if an emergency is declared in accordance with section 17 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia, and the Minister is unable to lay the Estimates before House of Assembly, he or she shall seek immediate approval of House of Assembly for an extension, with reasons for seeking the extension, by a new date, no later than 15 days before the end of the financial year;
AND WHEREAS it is further provided under section 32(5) of the Act that where House of Assembly approves an extension of time under subsection (4), House of Assembly shall, no later than 30 days after the end of the financial year, approve the Estimates and Appropriation Bill;
AND WHEREAS the Governor General, by proclamation declared, in accordance with section 17 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia, a state of emergency that was published in the Gazette on the 3rd day of February, 2021 as Statutory Instrument No. 27 of 2021 containing a declaration that a public emergency has arisen as a result of the occurrence of 2019-n CoV, an infectious disease commonly known as COVID-19;
AND WHEREAS House of Assembly, by the Constitution of Saint Lucia — Resolution of House of Assembly Approving Declaration of State of Emergency that was published in the Gazette on the 10th day of February, 2021 as Statutory Instrument No. 38 of 2021, approved the declaration of a state of emergency that was published in the Gazette on the 3rd day of February, 2021 as Statutory Instrument No. 27 of 2021 containing a declaration that a public emergency has arisen as a result of the occurrence of 2019-n CoV, an infectious disease commonly known as COVID-19;
AND WHEREAS adherence to the physical distancing and other public health protocols under the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Act, have resulted in disruptions in the normal operations in the public and private sectors;
AND WHEREAS the impact of COVID-19 on key Government departments and agencies has negatively affected the availability of critical technical human resources required to support and operate the new Budget Module;
AND WHEREAS the Minister of Finance seeks approval of an extension of time to lay the Estimates before House of Assembly, by a new date, no later than fifteen days before the 31st day of March, 2021, due to the impact of COVID-19 on the human resources of the Department of Finance and other Government departments and agencies involved in the budget preparation process;
BE IT RESOLVED that House of Assembly approves an extension of time to lay the Estimates before House of Assembly, by a new date, no later than fifteen days before the 31st day of March, 2021, due to the impact of COVID-19 on the human resources of the Department of Finance and other Government departments and agencies, involved in the budget preparation process.