THA presents $1.65B Budget

Secretary of Finance and Planning in the THA,  Dr Anselm London, yesterday demanded the establishment of a new “fiscal protocol” between the Central Government and the THA as he unveiled a 2003/2004 Budget for  a package of $1.65 billion. This figure is almost evenly distributed between recurrent expenditure ($810.6 million) and Develop-ment Programme ($836.6 million). Under recurrent the infrasturcture and public utilities division takes the largest chunk — $187.7 million, followed by Education/Youth Affairs/ Sports $181.3 million, with $161.2 million proposed for the Health and Social Services portfolio. Other allocations under recurrent are, Tourism/Transportation/ Enterprise Development/Settle-ments Division $73.7 million; Finance and Planning — $70.6 million; Agriculture/Marine Resources/ Environment $67.1 million; Public Administration $21.4 million; Office of the Chief Secretary $14.8 million, and Assembly Legislature $5 million. Of the proposed development programme of $836.6 million, $406.2 million — just about half — will go towards invest-ments in the economic infrastructure of the island.

Social Infrastructure investments will account for $245 million with $176.6 million going to multi-sectoral and other related investments. Productive sector investments will take $3.8 million and $5 million will go towards pre-investment studies. According to Dr London, these sums reflect the THA’s commitment to a continuation of the public buildings programme; an air and sea transport expansion programme; drainage and coastal protection; investment in marine resource management and the environment; the south-west waste water management and disposal facility; a desilting programme and an “ambitious” health and social reform sector reform programme. Further investments in the Education sector, include, the financial assistance (scholarship) programme; an integrated financial management system, and a Tobago Heritage Land Trust. He stressed “Tobagonians will no longer accept a situation in which every fiscal action to advance the econolmic prospects of this island require the blessing and approval of the Central Govern-ment, nor will we accept that every line item of expenditure remains subject to the scrutiny of some official in Port of Spain,” he added. He said  the fact is, and remains, that Tobago cannot and will not “accept that all matters of fiscal policy should be the exclusive preserve of the Central Government.” He declared “much more pro-active participatory fiscalism is required for Tobago, not as a gesture of generousity by the Central Government, nor as an expression of a special understanding, but as a requirement emerging from firm agreements that respond to Tobago’s special circumstances and needs,” he emphasised.