Budgeting for the Department of Statistics budget has ramped up almost 40 per cent from the previous fiscal year, the Minister of Economy and Labour revealed yesterday.

Jason Hayward told the House of Assembly the department was allocated more than $4.61 million for 2026-27, 37 per cent more than the almost $3.36 million it received last year.

MPs heard how $994,000, or 21.6 per cent of this funding, would go to professional services, partly to hire interviewers ahead of Census Day on May 20.

Mr Hayward said the Government plans to survey population and residential details from at least 95 per cent of Bermudian households, centred on the theme “Fill the Gap”, from May 31 to March 31, 2027.

While the Department of Immigration expects to receive almost $20.76 million in revenue through issuing passports and processing work permits and other documents, its estimated time for investigating illegal workers has doubled.

Mr Hayward said: “Co-ordinating interviews for statements have proven to take longer — sometimes, people are not available during the dates that the investigating officer proposes, so rather than over-promise and under-deliver, the change from three to six months was more realistic.”

Immigration was also given an additional $1 million for digitisation.

This came after several jobs — including bartenders, security guards and room attendants — were re-categorised from closed category to restricted on March 1.

The Registry General has been allocated $2.21 million this year, 14 per cent more than 2025-26, and expects to earn $221,000 from trademark applications and $395,000 from trademark certificates in 2026-27.

The Department of Labour is expected to pay $208,000 in rent, from a total annual budget of $1.44 million, after relocating last month to Sophia House on Church Street in Hamilton.

Mr Hayward called it “a much better space” for conducting tribunal hearings, with more rooms for mediation and “breakout rooms for when parties within a tribunal need to caucus as well”.

The Department of Workforce Development was given $4.73 million, a 5 per cent increase, with $1.24 million in grants and contributions.

Grant funding for the Bermuda Business Development Agency and the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation remains unchanged from the previous financial year, set at $4.32 million and nearly $2.24 million respectively.