Ministries must show how they will raise revenue, not only spend, says Finance Minister

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs says ministries will be expected to explain how they intend to increase revenue, not only outline new spending, as government works to bring Budget 2026 to Parliament in May and establish an earlier, more disciplined start to the 2027 budget cycle. She added that no cuts were imposed for the 2027 budget cycle.

The Minister explained on Monday that the budgeting approach now being applied places stronger emphasis on performance, accountability, and planning discipline across the public service. She said the intention is to shift budget discussions beyond allocations alone, requiring ministries to demonstrate what they will do on their end to strengthen revenue performance, improve execution, and reduce recurring bottlenecks that slow delivery.

Whether or not the Ministries complied with those wishes/directives, probably won't be known until the budget preparation process is complete and the Minister is presenting in Parliament.

The Minister said she has also prioritized greater realism in the budgeting process by ensuring that external financial oversight is exposed to the operational barriers ministries face. She explained that she sought the Prime Minister’s permission to invite the College financieel toezicht Curaçao en Sint Maarten to a key budget discussion, so the CFT secretariat could observe first-hand the practical challenges ministries encounter and the steps being taken to tighten processes. She characterized the invitation as a way to move beyond paper-based expectations, by giving CFT a direct view of what the country is dealing with when it comes to capacity, procedures, and constraints.

The Minister said ministries were instructed to provide the Ministry of Finance with data needed for early planning, and while some submissions were more timely than others, the information was eventually received in a form that allowed Finance to begin preliminary work. She said this input enabled the setting of spending thresholds for 2027 discussions, establishing a baseline for what ministries can plan around as government seeks to stabilize the budget calendar and strengthen internal controls.

The Minister further indicated that based on the figures received during the 2026 exercise, every ministry’s 2027 figure was increased and the Ministry of Finance did not impose cuts for 2027. She added that some ministries submitted requests that exceeded the established threshold, reflecting what those ministries believe is necessary to function and deliver, but she declined to identify the ministries publicly.

Central to the Minister’s message was that ministries must come to the table with a fuller plan, showing how they will contribute to the country’s fiscal resilience. She said ministries will be expected to identify steps to increase revenue, strengthen compliance, improve collection where relevant, and reduce inefficiencies that drain public resources. The Minister framed this as necessary because a budget that only expands spending without parallel attention to revenue and execution creates pressure on cash flow, delays on payments, and a cycle of public frustration.

Government has stated that following Council of Ministers approval on February 10, 2026, the draft 2026 national budget was submitted to the CFT for advice under the applicable financial supervision framework, with the aim of submitting the draft Budget 2026 to Parliament of St. Maarten by May 2026. The Minister said this timeline is tied to an adjusted planning framework intended to make up for lost time and prevent delays from spilling into the 2027 cycle, which she said would further weaken public confidence and operational stability.

The Minister also addressed public frustration when payments are delayed and “Finance” is blamed, emphasizing that each minister is responsible for their ministry’s budget and the internal processes tied to spending, approvals, and payments. She said delays can occur when matters do not move through the correct channels, or when documentation, approvals, or internal planning are not handled at the level where the obligation originates. She stressed that while the Ministry of Finance has a central role in oversight and cash management, budget discipline and timely execution must be practiced across every ministry and department.

The Minister said the goal is not only to meet deadlines, but to build a budgeting culture that supports service delivery, strengthens planning credibility, and reduces uncertainty for residents and vendors who depend on government functioning predictably. She indicated that further updates will follow as Budget 2026 progresses and as early priority-setting work continues for Budget 2027.

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