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The budget which Premier McKeeva Bush intends to deliver later today has not been approved by the United Kingdom.
Acting Governor Franz Manderson, in a statement released half an hour before the 4.15pm re-scheduled state opening of the Legislative Assembly, said that Henry Bellingham, the minister for the Overseas Territories had not given approval for the budget.
“The Honourable Premier intends to present the 2012/13 Budget to the Legislative Assembly today. If so, he will be doing so in the knowledge that the Minister for the Overseas Territories has not given, and may not give, his approval to these budgetary plans,” said Mr. Manderson.
Mr. Bush’s press secretary Charles Glidden announced earlier today that the state opening of the Legislative Assembly would be held at 4.15pm this afternoon, Monday, 20 August.
The statement continued: “In any event the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) will wish to continue to work closely with the Cayman Islands Government to develop budgetary plans which are in the best interests of the Cayman Islands for the future.”
Mr. Manderson referred to a statement made by Governor Duncan Taylor on 26 July in which the governor said discussions between the Cayman Islands Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to agree the Cayman Islands budget were ongoing.
He said: “The Governor explained that the Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham, had asked the Cayman Islands Government to ensure that its budget proposals were credible, sustainable, and consistent with the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility signed by the Premier in November 2011.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it had no objection to the Acting Governor delivering the Throne Speech on the occasion of the State Opening of the Legislative Assembly.