Tobagonians Backpay by July

The more than 9,000 monthly and daily paid workers of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) who have been waiting for their back pay for several months will eventually receive it by the end of July.

Chief Secretary Orville London told an audience at the Bethel Community Centre on Thursday night that on Wednesday the Lower House of Parliament approved $222.8 million for the Assembly to make the payment. This sum will be added to the $83 million the Assembly received last month.

The back pay was as a result of the balance due to the workers for the period 2008 to 2010.

London said there has been a lot of misinformation put out in the public domain about the matter but assured that the money will be paid as soon as the Ministry of Finance released it. He added that members of staff in the various THA divisions have been processing pay sheets which will be audited in preparation for payment of the back pay as soon as the funds were received from the Ministry of Finance.

The meeting was the fourth in the series of the Assembly's Face to Face programme to involve Tobagonians in the governance of the island in the absence of a minority side in the House of Assembly and for the administration to get to know their concerns.

He said his administration was committed to respond to the concerns raised. He added: "This is about bringing government to the people. Everything that is being done is to facilitate but we cannot do it until you are prepared to be facilitated.

In presenting the plans for the Division of Community Development and Culture, Secretary Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus warned village councils that they will not receive funds in the next financial year if they did not get their accounts audited for the current period.

"If we are giving you public funds we need audited reports. In the next financial year we would need those reports before we disburse funds," Angus added.

Assistant Secretary of Community Development and Culture Assemblyman Ancil Dennis said seven Y Zones to provide computer training and internet facilities for the youth were being established across the island at a cost of $350,000 each while a mobile unit will service areas without one.

Secretary of Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment Assemblyman Godwin Adams said the seven play parks to serve children were operational and another seven will be established in the next financial year.

Source: THA site

NO BACK PAY YET FOR TOBAGONIANS

The 9,000 monthly and daily-paid employees of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) that are due arrears in their salary for the period 2008 to 2010 will have to wait a little longer due to the non receipt of funding from the Central Government.

The Assembly which was promised the funding this month only received $83 million of the approximate $350 million needed to make the payment to all the workers. The arrears of salary are as a result of new industrial agreements signed by the unions and the government Chief Personnel Officer.

Chief Secretary Orville London said on Wednesday that contrary to what was being said the Assembly did not have the funds and did not want to create confusion by paying some of the workers. He said the Minister of Finance has promised to source the addition funds as early as possible in order to settle the debt.

Meanwhile, Tobagonians continue to wait for their monies which continue to lose value as the days go by. 

Tobago, Back to Stone Age

Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary,
Orville London

The Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary, Orville London have stated that Tobago has been set back 20 years. He made this comment in relation to a submarine cable providing TSTT and T&TEC services that have been down since February 2012. 

In what he described as untenable, he calls on the relevant authority, the Ministry of Utilities, to address the problem of the defunct cable so as to restore normal communications services to the island of Tobago. 

The ramifications of this is wide spread. At the moment TSTT have discontinued its subscriptions for Internet services. It therefore means, persons wishing to pursue online courses, would now have to postpone or enroll in tradition methods,leaving jobs and family to go to Trinidad.  Further, the bandwidth for Tobago have thus been reduced, resulting in interruptions while streaming media, and increasing the time of uploads and file downloads. Further, businesses depending primarily on TSTT services face enormous interuptions, which can amount to financial loses. In addition,  it means that old subscribers would not be receiving the correct upload and download speeds for which you are currently paying for. Thus, Tobagonians must demand a rebate immediately. 

As for energy consumption, T&TEC is using the the diesel powered plant at the COVE to generate about 64 megawatts, to feed Tobago. As it stands, there is no redundancy systems in place for either of the two major Utilities and as such Tobago remains an Island that is at risk to the Dark Ages. 

In wake of all of this, Tobagonians are with concern observing the treatment meted out to them by the powers that be. Are the Ministers within the PP government sidelining the needs of Tobagonians, and reduces us to mere after thoughts on their agendas. Is it a deliberate plan to destroy the comfortable lives to which Tobagonians have enjoyed?  It is fasiciting to observe the treatment of Tobago and its people post 2010. Tobago have been plummeted to a 19th century Island. First CAL removed Tobago from being a destination stop, (a critical blow to tourism the backbone of Tobago economy). Then the cancellations of en route Cruise Ships to Scarborough a further blow to direct tourism. Moreover, to add insult to injury, Tobago must now restart the discussion of Internal Self Government, in addition,  to this prolong disruption of key infrastructure that is critical to almost every facet of Tobago's development. 

This continue discrimination against the needs of Tobagonians must end, before the lives of its citizens are plunged further into the Stone Age.   

Written by O.J.Noel

o9, July 2012