Budget 2026 Promises ‘Most People-Centred’ Agenda in Nation’s History, PM Says
Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Thursday unveiled what he described as the “most people-centred budget ever delivered” in Antigua and Barbuda, outlining a 2026 fiscal plan anchored in social investment, economic expansion and continued fiscal discipline.
Presenting the budget under the theme “People-Centered Growth and Development,” Browne said the administration’s priority is to ensure that rising national income translates into direct benefits for households, workers and communities across the country. He framed the budget as the culmination of more than a decade of economic recovery, resilience-building and structural reforms.
Browne reported a projected 5 percent economic growth rate for 2026, with national output expected to approach $7 billion. He said the country’s fiscal health is the strongest it has been in years, pointing to a primary surplus of $254.9 million, an overall surplus of $116.3 million and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 61.4 percent — the closest Antigua and Barbuda has ever been to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s 60 percent benchmark.
According to the Prime Minister, the administration’s economic strategy has shifted the country from “borrowing to survive” to generating surpluses that fund public investment and social programmes. He credited investments in tourism, construction, housing, water infrastructure and port development for broad-based economic gains.
The budget’s people-focused measures include tuition-free education at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus once upgrades are complete, government payment of all CSEC exam fees starting in 2026, expanded affordable housing initiatives, increases in wages and pensions, and continued subsidies on fuel, electricity and selected food items.
Browne said the government will also scale up spending on healthcare, including a new $10 million renal center and the reopening of the cancer center. He pledged further upgrades to road networks, water production capacity and hurricane-resilient infrastructure as part of a broader climate adaptation strategy.
The Prime Minister told Parliament that while global and regional economic headwinds persist, Antigua and Barbuda has demonstrated resilience through “strategic planning, disciplined management and a clear commitment to the well-being of citizens.” He urged the nation to “stay the course,” warning that progress is not automatic and requires continued stability.
Cabinet ministers will provide sector-by-sector breakdowns when the budget debate begins next week.
