Auditor General probing government’s $20M budget error

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has confirmed that the Auditor General is examining the circumstances surrounding a $20 million budget discrepancy linked to the implementation of salary increases for public officers.

Speaking on a recent radio programme, Premier Wheatley clarified that while the budgeted amount for salaries was miscalculated, the government did have sufficient funds allocated. “Just to say, we don’t have a shortfall in the budget. What the situation is, we were told that the salary would cost… one particular amount, and it ended up being a higher figure. But we did have monies in the budget to be able to address the implementation of the new salaries,” he explained.

The budget miscalculation, disclosed in 2024, initially projected that the salary adjustments would require $11.7 million. However, an assessment later revealed that the actual cost exceeded $25 million, leading to a shortfall of approximately $13.3 million. Premier Wheatley said the latest update on the matter came from Governor Daniel Pruce. “The last report I got on it was from the Governor, who said that the Auditor General was looking at it. And perhaps at the next Cabinet meeting, I can get an update from the Governor on the pace of the report that the Auditor General would be doing,” he stated.