‘Getting It Done’ rolls into Belle Garden

The Ministry of Tobago Development has embarked upon a four-part series in order to meet with communities and share with residents, its programmes, services and other information concerning the workings of the Ministry. 

The team of men and women in the Ministry of Tobago Development visited the Belle Garden Anglican School last Thursday to have a conversation with the villagers as to the way forward. In this discourse directors and coordinators gave brief overviews as to what each unit has contributed to the growth of Tobago. 

Minister, Dr. Baker wants to see Tobagonians take charge and be entrusted with their own future development. The first three meetings were held at Bethel, Canaan/Bon Accord and Castara respectively. These meetings all revolved around the theme, “Getting It Done, 2013.”

In their brief reports from the planning project and economic development coordinator, Gladstone Solomon highlighted the $60 million Meteorology Centre which will commence on or before the end of September. Other plans in this area include the development of community based indigenous industries. Such industries would be centered on goat and sheep farming with room for goat cheese, cocoa estate revival, agricultural processing, increased cable and broadband access. Most of these projects should commence by the new fiscal year. 

The coordinator of the Human Capital Development Unit, Cecil Dalrymple left the audience with much food for thought when he revealed some statistics to the people. It was said by Dalrymple that through research done by the unit, 72% of the people in Tobago are making less than $6,000 TT a month. The bigger question he posed was how the people of Tobago are surviving. He stated that there must be a time that the people of Tobago get away from looking for foreign help. Dalrymple said once we develop human capital on the island we will always have financial capital. 

The other units continue to grow and impact Tobago. In the NGO Support Unit and Community Liaison those coordinators have seen an increase of 25% interaction with the community. At the same time a 45% increase of people on the island utilising the services the Ministry has to offer. 

The Ministry of Tobago Development will continue to interact with its people to ensure that they are getting it done because Tobago matters.

Source:tobagonews