Four investment projects to be expedited, says PM The Marina at Hoopers Bay in Exuma, one of the projects pushed through the pipeline by the government.
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said the government will soon push through the pipeline at least four investment projects expected to have a significant impact on the economy.
One of the recommendations made by the Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) last October was to expedite the processing of the Bahamian and foreign direct investments currently before the government.
“The ERC has secured a listing of all pending domestic and foreign applications and has over the recent weeks assisted the government with moving forward several investments, that are expected to have a significant economic impact on the economy and create temporary and permanent jobs for Bahamians,” the prime minister said.
Prudent allocation to aid economic revival: Odisha Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari
Odidhs FM Niranjan Pujari said prudent resource allocation in the Budget 2021-22 will set the course for economic revival after the Covid-19 pandemic.
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BHUBANESWAR : Asserting that the State government has made efforts to use available resources in the best possible way, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari on Saturday said prudent resource allocation in the Budget 2021-22 will set the course for economic revival after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Terming the Budget as welfare and growth oriented, Pujari in his reply to general discussions on Budget said several reform measures have been initiated under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to enhance credibility, accountability and transparency in the budget-making process and it will give an insight into the quality of expenditure.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik offers prayers at Lord Lingaraj temple (Source: PTI)
Agriculture, health and infrastucture sectors were the thrust of the Odisha government as Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented a Rs 1.7 lakh crore Budget for the 2021-22 fiscal. Besides, tourism and sports also got the highest-ever allocation in the Budget.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Pujari said economy was showing signs of recovery and the state government was expecting to see a growth of about 10 per cent by end of the current year. In a first, the budget was tabled in the assembly through an electronic system using the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
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The Government is predicting that it will be able to end all COVID-19 assistance initiatives by end-March 2021 - a forecast that a top official yesterday admitted is fraught with risk .
Marlon Johnson, the Ministry of Finance s acting financial secretary, told Tribune Business that while the Government is cautiously optimistic that the pandemic s threat is on a downward trend there are multiple uncertainties that could throw economic and fiscal forecasts badly off-course.
He conceded that current estimates and predictions were among the most difficult the Ministry of Finance has ever had to make, after Tribune Business spotted a little-noticed line in the recently-tabled Fiscal Strategy Report showing the Government hopes to stop financing mass COVID-related unemployment benefits, food assistance and various business support by the 2021 first quarter end.
Domestic rates see increase
First checked bag no longer free on int’l flights
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamasair, the country’s national flag carrier, announced today there will be changes to domestic fares and baggage fees effective January 4, 2021.
The cost of domestic flights will be increasing, the company announced, stating: “The airline has not had a domestic fare increase in the past eight years, and these adjustments have become necessary due to increase[d] operational costs.”
A chart provided by Bahamasair reflected the new fares that will take effect.
A chart showing the new Bahamasair domestic travel fares that will take effective January 4, 2021.