BUDGET SPEECH 2014/15

Financial Secretary Colin Owen this afternoon delivered the Budget Speech for St Helena, 2014/15 (photo attached).  The theme of this year’s Budget was the Health of the Nation and Making a Difference.

The budget covered a wide range of health and environmental issues and saw the introduction of Excise and Liquor Duty and a number of changes to the current tax regime.

Highlights from the speech included:

 

  • Total expenditure for 2014/15 of just over £29 million
  • Increased funding for priority areas, including an additional £692k for the Health Service
  • £8.5m to be spent on Capital Infrastructure Projects in 2014/15
  • Planned introduction of Child Benefit allowance from 1 April 2015 
  • Continued equalisation of Fuel Tariffs, with duty on diesel to increase by 5p
  • Tobacco and Spirits Duties increased by 5%
  • Introduction of Liquor Duty at £3.50 per litre
  • New £1 per litre Duty for alcohol 3% or below
  • Changes to Customs Duty on Vehicles, based on CO2 Emissions
  • Introduction of Excise Duty on Styrofoam boxes for takeaways
  • Introduction of Excise Duty on plastic shopping bags
  • 75p per litre Excise Duty on High Sugar Carbonated Drinks

 

Colin Owen commented:

‘The introduction of a new tax on high sugar drinks and higher than inflation increases on tobacco form part of a raft of measures which demonstrate that SHG takes the health of St Helena seriously.’

The full Budget Speech is available on the SHG website at: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/finace/

SHG

21 March 2014

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St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: communications@sainthelena.gov.sh