Prime Minister Philip Davis defended the Bahamas' “first ever post-Independence” budget surplus of $39.3m for fiscal 2025-2026, which the Opposition calls a fiction because it excludes $311m of National Investment Fund (NIF) spending. Opposition finance spokesman Kwasi Thompson argued that the NIF outlays are typical capital spending on infrastructure and that including them would produce a deficit of $270m-plus. Finance Minister Michael Halkitis had said the money went to airports, roads, water systems and court complexes. Ministry of Finance data showed the June 2026 surplus rose to $130.7m from $25.4m a year earlier, as total tax revenue jumped 116.7% to $570.5m, though recurrent spending also more than doubled. Thompson said the public is focused on living costs, healthcare, education and whether public servants are paid, and that confusion over the NIF, including whether some $700m in net borrowing was deposited into it, has left the government lacking credibility.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Original headline: Historic budget fiction as excludes NIF spending
Read the original on tribune242.com ↗
Related news
- US posts US$1 . 99 trillion budget gap for 2026 on spending rise
The US federal budget deficit widened to $1.99 trillion in fiscal 2026 through September, about 12% above last year’s $1.78 trillion, as spending rose roughly 6% to $7.4 trillion and receipts rose about 3% to $5.4 trillion. Net interest costs climbed $81.4 billion to a record $1.05 trillion, while Social Security and Medicare outlays also rose sharply. It is the fourth straight year with a deficit near $2 trillion, roughly 6% of GDP, and corporate income tax receipts fell by more than $70 billion after the 2025 tax bill. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argues growth can bring debt down, but IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva and CBO director Phillip Swagel doubt growth alone is enough, while Trump has called for close to $500 billion more in defence spending.
Related markets
Latest news
- Meta Earnings: What To Look For From META
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) will report earnings this Wednesday after the market closes. Last quarter, revenue reached $60.8 billion, up 28% year on year and above analysts' expectations, though revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missed forecasts; daily active users hit 3.6 billion, up 3.4%. The market expects revenue growth of 23.6% this quarter, slowing from 26.2% a year earlier, and analysts have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the past 30 days. Over the last month, consumer internet stocks have gained 1.3% on average, while Meta is down 4.8%.
- An AI bust could come from places investors arent watching , an economist says
Concerns about an AI bubble are growing, and TS Lombard's Dario Perkins warns that investors may be overlooking other risks. Debt among smaller cloud providers, model developers and suppliers could reach $2 trillion by the end of 2027. Perkins does not see this as a systemic risk, but warns that earnings disappointments and canceled orders could ripple through the ecosystem, and that a chip glut could follow over-ordering. Much of the industry's revenue growth still comes from spending within the AI ecosystem rather than from businesses and consumers outside it. He also flags political backlash, noting that ordinary people dislike AI and nearby datacenters, and warns that one high-profile accident could turn AI toxic.
- Yen jumps after JGB auction draws big demand , euro finds relief
The yen rose 0.2% to 158.15 per dollar in Asian trading after a 20-year Japanese government bond auction drew bids of 5.84 times the amount sold, well above the 4.01 times at the previous auction, and the yield fell 6 basis points to 3.71%. A State Street strategist said the record demand suggests sidelined cash is returning and that JGBs are becoming a relative haven from political and fiscal volatility in Europe, particularly France. Anti-government protests in France prompted curfews in several cities, while Italy said it would send 500 troops after two days of unrest, and the euro rallied 0.2% to $1.1234. Elsewhere, bitcoin slipped 0.3% to $81,674.25 and ether edged down 0.2% to $2,393.21.
- Unemployment rate dips to 4 . 7 % - but vacancies hit five - year low
Vacancies fell by 21,000 to 691,000 in the three months to September, the biggest drop since the three months to March and the lowest since July to September 2014 outside the pandemic, while unemployment dipped in the three months to August. Payroll numbers were down 66,000 over the year to September. The ONS said the fall was mainly among smaller firms struggling with higher labour costs, following rises in employer national insurance, the minimum wage and workers' rights. A CBI survey found labour costs and regulations were making it harder to create jobs, and firms urged the Chancellor not to add to their burden in the October 28 Budget. ICAEW's Suren Thiru said the labour market is 'running on idle' and unemployment could climb above 5 per cent, while Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith blamed Labour's 'Jobs Tax' and red tape.
- CNBC Daily Open: Tech rebounds in the U.S., but Asia isn’t buying it yet
U.S. tech stocks rebounded as the Nasdaq Composite rose more than 1% on Monday, with Nvidia up 1.4% and Tesla up 3.8%. In Asia, however, tech shares fell on Tuesday, with South Korea's Kospi down over 4% and Japan's Nikkei 225 down 1.6%. Nvidia also unveiled plans to back four German AI startups as part of its nearly $10 billion European investment commitment. Jenny Lee of Granite Asia said Asian companies are reaching IPOs much sooner, often at four to five years old, while Jio Platforms' Indian IPO saw its anchor investor quota oversubscribed more than 30 times, aiming to raise up to 302 billion rupees ($3.2 billion). In Singapore, several agricultural stocks fell after Senior Minister K Shanmugam warned that companies would not escape responsibility for possible roles in the haze, noting seven firms had been questioned by the Singapore Exchange.
- NiSource (NI) Stock Looks Overvalued Against Its Dividend Outlook
NiSource has nearly doubled shareholders' money over the past five years, delivering a 97.6% total return, which raises the question of whether dividends can justify the current share price. The article highlights a new 20-year energy agreement with Microsoft, including customer-funded grid upgrades and long-term electric service for data centers, which may affect future capital needs and cash-flow visibility. Using a Dividend Discount Model with inputs of about $1.35 dividend per share, roughly 9.07% return on equity, a payout ratio slightly above 61%, and implied dividend growth of about 3.5%, the estimated intrinsic value sits meaningfully below the current share price of $41.95. The model still does not bridge that gap, suggesting income investors are paying a premium for a relatively steady payout with modest assumed growth.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.