The Minister for Overseas Territories, François-Noël Buffet, fears censorship from the government of Michel Barnier for the overseas territories.
“This censorship would be a hard blow for the Overseas Territories, which are seeing exceptional funding, long-awaited bills and reforms suspended, while the economic and social challenges facing our territories are only growing”he said in a press release.
Evoking “very serious consequences”the press release adds that “not having a budget means depriving New Caledonia of aid, it means depriving Martinique of a “high cost of living” protocol, it means depriving Guyana of land retrocession (…) C “is concretely depriving three million of our compatriots of a budget which is more than necessary for them”. “Our overseas territories will pay a high price”continues the press release.
François-Noël Buffet told Agence France-Presse that the overseas territories would be “sacrificed” in the event of censorship, citing among the files put on hold if the budget is not adopted the protocol obtained in October in Martinique for a 20% price reduction on January 1, the extension of the deadline for submitting files for victims of nuclear tests in Polynesia after 2024 or a land transfer project in Guyana.
Rare glimmer of hope for those overseas, deputies and senators found a compromise on Tuesday on the draft law “end of management” for 2024, which could be definitively adopted at the last minute on Wednesday. This text, which consolidates the deficit for 2024 at 6.1% of GDP, notably includes the financing of aid granted by the State to New Caledonia in 2024.
