In what can be seen as the largest budget presentation by the Tobago House of Assembly- THA, Dr. London, Secretary of Finance and Enterprise Development called for a whopping 4.318 Billion dollars to run the affairs of Tobago for fiscal 2013. Four hundred million more than the sum for fiscal 2012. This figure was revealed on Monday 25th June, under the theme 'Developing Tobagonians In a Developing Tobago, The Next Frontier'. Dr. London was extremely critical of the Central Government, and made many reference to what he describe as 'disrespect' to the people of Tobago. Further, for a third year in a row, he lambasted the Central Statistical Office (CSO) for its inability to provide him with Tobago specific GDP estimates and Inflationary figures, mere days after he displaced the CSO-Tobago staff.
Identifying the need to fill the positions vacant in the public sector, he pledged that the THA would work with service commission to aggressively fill the all vacancies. Vaunting about the completion of the Victor E. Bruce Financial Complex and the extended new date of completion for the Scarborough Library later this year, he indicated that the Shawpark Cultural Complex looms large in 2013, a building which would be the signature of Tobago alike the Eiffel Towers of France and the NAPA building in Trinidad. Further, he dwell on the issue of land distribution which is to become a reality later this year, and indicated that persons who would have joined the young initiative saving program lunched by the Assembly would be given preference. He took great objection to that of the two (2) mile radius proposed by the central government as economic maritime space, as it does not conform to the international standards, and labeled the under-funding of URP and CEPEP as Fiscal blackmail. He further noted that the stifling of funding to Tobago is a normal strategy used by the UNC to Tobago both in Hochoy's administration and now the PNM. Continuing he stressed that the Central Government's message remains clear, that where ever possible Punish Tobago.
The Minority leader Ashworth Jack will deliver his response to the budget on a special sitting of the Chamber on Thursday.
Further information can be viewed at the link below:-
Written by O.J.Noel
26th/06/2012
No comments:
Post a Comment