The Senate approved the 2017-18 budgets for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday.

One Bermuda Alliance senator Vic Ball outlined the Home Affairs revenue estimates for the next fiscal year, while senator Michael Fahy provided a breakdown of the finance ministry’s budget.

Mr Ball went through the ministry’s four heads including its headquarters, immigration, the registry general and workforce development, which saw a small reduction in their overall expenditure budget from $15.5 million for 2016-17 to $15.2 million for the next fiscal year.

He also highlighted the work of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal in the last year as well as the Immigration Reform Working Group.

Mr Ball told senators Government expected an increase in revenue from work permits in the coming fiscal year due to the America’s Cup and the airport redevelopment project.

During the debate, independent senator James Jardine noted an expected increase in the length of time for processing immigration documents such as grants of status.

He also referred to the National Training Plan, saying: “This was an excellent plan and got off to a good start. There were plans to involve schools and businesses in the private sector.

“It was a great document but I have not heard anything further about it for some time.”

Meanwhile, Mr Fahy, the Minister of Tourism and Transport, spoke of the Government’s two-track approach in the Ministry of Finance to tackle the island’s deficit.

He said that this fiscal year’s budget was the second of a three-year programme to tackle the deficit and was “beginning to bear fruit”.

Progressive Labour Party senator Kim Wilkerson asked Mr Fahy about the level of consultation before Government embarked on its reform of the payroll tax system, while Mr Jardine raised concerns about what Government was doing to collect the “outstanding receivables”.