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March 14, 2003
Budget highlights
GN holds line on programs,
spends on capital projects
Nunatsiaq News
The Nunavut governments
2003-04 budget contains little new program spending using accumulated
surpluses to pay for a variety of one-time capital projects that were announced
last fall.
Here are some spending
highlights:
The GN will spend
$6 million to buy the Sivummut office building in Iqaluit because its
cheaper in the long run to buy the building rather than lease it.
The bad gas fiasco
will cost the government $6.3 million in compensation payments and lost fuel
inventory its not known how much will be recovered through insurance.
Recent municipal
fires in Clyde River and Repulse Bay will cost the government $1.6 million.
In education, the
government will spend an extra $2 million for curriculum development under the
language of instruction initiative.
The budget for the
health and social services department is up to $207 million thats
up from $166 million last year, giving the department $151.6 million for operations,
$46.3 million for three new regional health facilities and $9.5 million for
other capital projects.
The GN will spend
$1.4 million for new RCMP detachments in Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet.
The GN will increase
CLEYs budget by $1 million, an 11 per cent increase.
The GN will increase
its operating assistance for municipalities by 18.5 per cent, to help cover
higher insurance, pensions and other costs.
The department of
educations program budget will increase by $7.4 million, to $160 million.
CLEY will offer
$2.5 million in grant and contribution programs.
Sustainable development
will spend $16.3 million in grants and contributions.
Community governments
capital budget will go up by $10 million, to help pay for basic water and sewage
projects.
The GN will spend
$500,000 to start the Qulliq Energy Corp.
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