Community Affairs and Sport, followed by the Education Ministry are the biggest winners with the upcoming year's Budget.

The two received a boost of 17 and 11 percent more than they received last year.

The Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport's overall $13 million budget includes $1.8 million in extra money for the operation of Community Centres (+$213,000), the accommodation of special needs children in summer day camps (+$60,000) and in the After-school Care programme (+$261,000).

That department's Elite Athlete Fund also gets an extra $85,000 in 2003/04, and Government plans to eliminate duty on temporary sports equipment.

Government is also living up to a promise made by Premier Jennifer Smith to support the St. George's Foundation's efforts to maintain the Olde Town as a World Heritage Site - with a $100,000 grant.

But the lion's share of the over $650 million allocated for current account spending remains the Ministry of Health and Social Services which is expected to spend $132.3 million, 18 percent of the budget, in 2003/04, an increase of $4.1 million.

Some of that money will go toward establishing the new Department of Court Services, which will amalgamate Probation to InServices and the Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre, key components of the Alternative carceration initiative. New money for the Health Ministry will also go toward paying the salary of the Co-ordinator of the Comprehensive School Health Programme and increased costs for the Foster Care programme.

Additional funding has also been provided for subsidizing health care at King Edward Memorial Hospital.

And $9 million have been allocated to the Health Ministry for rest homes and improvements to St. Brendan's hospital and Teucer House.

The Ministry of Education and Development, which gets $104.4 million, or 14.4 percent of the budget, will be able to use some of its $10.4 million increase toward meeting increased staffing costs for the new secondary school year.

Berkeley and CedarBridge Academy get an extra $2.4 million in grant funding, and the new Special School for students with special needs will get $1.3 million.

"Every essential element of education has been bolstered by this year's Budget, including staff development (+$484,000), students with behavioural challenges (+$473,000), enhanced summer school initiative (+$100,000), support for principals and an increased allowance for teachers' materials (+$175,000)," Finance Minister Eugene Cox told the House yesterday.

The Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety, with $ 85.4 million or 11.8 percent of the Budget, came next in the rankings.

It received an additional $6.8 million, some of which will go toward enhancing Bermuda's capability to fight financial crime.

Money has also been earmarked for hosting the annual Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) this year. But Mr. Cox said that Government will also seek corporate sponsors.

Bermuda's training needs gets a healthy boost with an extra $100,000 going to the Summer Employment Program for students, $650,000 extra for the National Training Board to launch its National Certification Programme and more money for training programmes in the Island's prisons

Mr. Cox promised "renewed attention" for drug abusers and the mentally-ill in prison.

And the Fire Service is getting an extra $578,000 to plug a shortage of emergency dispatchers.

The Ministry of Finance, with $82.4 million, will be spending $107,000 in new money to help stave off actions by foreign governments which may harm Bermuda's international business sector.

Much of that will be used up in lobbying efforts and attending conferences.

And consultant accountants will be hired,up to the tune of $250,000 by the Finance Ministry to enhance accounting in "key ministeries", the Finance Minister said.

Ministry of Transport, with a budget of $54.2 million, will be able to improve its ability to remove abandoned vehicles from the roads and set up online services for vehicle licensing with new money allocated for the purpose.

At the Environment Ministry, the Bermuda Zoological Society will be able to conduct research into deformed Bermuda frogs with a $50,000 grant aid allocation. Mr. Cox also announced that a new Unemployment Insurance Fund was still a work in progress.

Capital development projects include $1.8 million for the Works and Engineering Ministry's work to stop the coastal erosion on South Road in Smith's parish, $1.5 million to relocate the Recycling Centre and $1 million for the structural refurbishment of bridges.

The National Sports Centre gets $6.2 million, $3.5 million goes to the Bermuda Land Development Company and $100,000 for the final instalment of a $500,000 grant to the Bermuda Maritime Museum's Commissioner's House in Dockyard.

The Minister also announced an end to preferential treatment to certain charities in doling out Government funding.

"Government is proposing that all charitable organizations that serve our community in any significant way apply for a government grant to help support their philanthropic activities," said Mr. Cox.

"This approach is much more transparent and the community is therefore better able to gauge the value of their contribution to community development. Provision for the grants have been made in the Ministry of Health and Family Services' budget and Government has advised all affected organizations."