The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007

Authorisation of expenditure

104.—(1) The Minister shall cause to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly as soon as practicable before the beginning of each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Virgin Islands for that year; but if the House is dissolved less than three months before the beginning of any financial year, the estimates for that year may be laid before the House as soon as practicable after the beginning of that year.

(2) The heads of expenditure contained in the estimates (other than statutory expenditure) shall be included in a Bill to be known as an Appropriation Bill which shall be introduced into the House of Assembly to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund of the sums necessary to meet that expenditure and for the appropriation of those sums to the purposes specified in it.

(3) If in respect of any financial year it is found—

(a)that the amount appropriated by the Appropriation Act to any purpose is insufficient or that a need has arisen for expenditure for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that Act; or

(b)that any moneys have been expended for any purpose in excess of the amount appropriated to that purpose by the Appropriation Act or for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that Act,

a supplementary estimate, showing the sums required or spent, shall be laid before the House of Assembly.

(4) Where in respect of any financial year any supplementary estimates have been laid before the House of Assembly in accordance with subsection (3) and approved by resolution of the House, a Supplementary Appropriation Bill shall, as soon as practicable after the end of that year, be introduced into the House to provide for the appropriation to the purposes in question of the sums included in such estimates that have been expended for that year.

(5) Where in respect of any financial year moneys have been withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund on the authority of a warrant issued by the Governor by virtue of section 103(1)(b), the Minister shall, if the circumstances of the case so require, cause a statement of expenditure in respect of such moneys to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly.