This year’s Budget is more than numbers: it’s about fairness in action; it’s about care and compassion; it’s about working towards a Bermuda where everyone benefits.

It starts with healthcare. Free annual check-ups for HIP and FutureCare members mean more Bermudians can catch problems before they become emergencies.

By increasing prescription coverage from $1,000 to $3,000 for HIP and from $3,000 to $5,000 for FutureCare, we are helping more Bermudians get more of the medicine they need and reducing a significant financial burden for families across the island.

We’re also:

• Investing heavily in housing, with 30 new units being constructed this fiscal year

• Investing heavily in road repairs and infrastructure

• Increasing our investment in education by nearly $10 million

• Allocating $1.8 million to support postsecondary education through scholarships and awards

• Slashing fuel duty for power generation, bringing the total reduction made by this government to 80 per cent in two years, and saving the average household about $300 annually

• Slashing base land tax rate by 50 per cent for homeowners and renters in 2026

• Cut car licensing fees by 10 per cent

• Cutting monthly tax on mobile phones by 50 per cent

• Cutting customs duty on building materials to reduce the cost of building homes

• Eliminating customs duty on vehicle parts

• Giving the first increase in the duty-free allowance since 2012, raising it from $200 to $300

• Eliminating the 12-month waiting period for home care for new HIP and FutureCare policyholders, giving immediate support to those who need home-based care and easing pressure on hospitals

Our economic strategy now sees us positioned to realise our second budget surplus, repay the debt, build up our reserves and make investments for the future in a time of global chaos.

In crafting the Budget, we knew that on the one hand, the economy is doing well, and that the wealthy and privileged already are reaping the benefits.

On the other hand, we knew too many of us not only were not feeling the progress in our economy; we were feeling left behind.

We believe that it is only right and only fair that when Bermuda is doing well, everyone should benefit.

That’s why we have tried to share in that success by slashing taxes and fees, and by investing in addressing your concerns in our community such as the cost of living, housing, healthcare and road conditions

Fairness isn’t just a slogan to us; it is at the heart of the way we approach governing.

This budget may not solve every problem, but it shows where our heart is: with families, with children and with the people who need us most.

• Neville Tyrrell is the Government Whip and the MP for Warwick South Central (Constituency 26)