Antigua and Barbuda is on course to record a budget surplus exceeding EC$250 million this year as government revenues continue to outpace last year’s performance, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Sunday.

Speaking on the Brown and Brown Show, Browne attributed the projected surplus to strong collections by the Inland Revenue Department and the Customs and Excise Division, despite the government’s decision to keep fuel prices below market levels.

“So far, year to date, revenue performance has been good, very strong,” Browne said. “We’re quite pleased with the performance of both Inland Revenue as well as Customs. Both of them have actually shown increases over 2025.”

He said the improved revenue performance has placed the government in a position to record a surplus of about EC$250 million while continuing to reduce the country’s debt burden.

“We are projecting a surplus of about a quarter of a billion dollars, and the debt-to-GDP is falling down to about 62 percent,” Browne said.

The prime minister said the government has continued to subsidize fuel prices, despite advice from the Ministry of Finance to allow market prices to take effect.

“We’re paying West Indies Oil Company monies to maintain the price artificially low,” Browne said, adding that the government has forgone about EC$4 million in monthly tax revenue by maintaining the subsidy.

Even with those losses, Browne said revenue collections have exceeded those recorded during the same period last year.

He also defended his administration’s fiscal management, noting that Antigua and Barbuda’s national debt has increased only modestly since 2014 while the economy has expanded significantly.

“When it comes to fiscal responsibility, I can say here without any fear of contradiction that my administration has been the most fiscally responsible administration that this country has ever seen,” Browne said.

Browne said the combination of sustained economic growth, stronger tax collections and prudent fiscal management has enabled the government to strengthen its financial position while continuing to invest in national development projects.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Projects EC$250 Million Budget Surplus on Strong Revenue Growth.