FORMER energy minister Stuart Young has labelled the 2025/2026 budget delivered by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo as one of "smoke and mirrors" as he predicted a raid on the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund.

On October 13, Tancoo delivered a $59.232 billion budget, which is expected to fall short in revenue by $3.865 billion. Among the initiatives announced were a decrease in the price of super gasoline by $1 per litre; a revised offer of ten per cent salary increase for public servants; an electricity surcharge for commercial and industrial customers; a landlord tax; and an asset levy on banks and insurance companies.

In a Facebook post on October 14, Young said he supported the slash in the cost of super gasoline. However, he said the budget was "a populist budget meant to fool the population" as he predicted rising inflation and more loss of jobs.