The 2026 Budget: Survive the squeeze or get left behind

If you were waiting for a ‘growth budget’ this year, you can stop. It isn’t coming. The Ministry of Finance already told us what this 2026-2027 Budget is: on their website it is aptly branded the “Melissa Budget”. With $29.4 billion in new revenue measures, crafted as a calculated strike on consumption, digital tools, and logistics, the Government has prioritised state stability over expansion. The focus is on the massive national recovery efforts to plug the J$198 billion hole left by Hurricane Melissa.