BUDGET FOR THE POOR

TODAY is Budget Day in Trinidad and Tobago and Prime Minister Patrick Manning will be the man of the moment when he delivers the 2003/2004 Budget in Parliament around 2 pm. In essence, it has been labelled as “a Budget for the poor” — one in which is expected to lay much emphasis on a number of social programmes. During his presentation Manning, who has said lately that he is concerned over the spiralling crime rate will also pay much attention to strategies and mechanisms to bring crime down to a manageable level. With an anticipated additional $27 million for CEPEP, Manning will also show it is proposed to expand the programme to now include landscaping. Over the past weeks speculation has been running rife, hence there is little wonder why everyone’s eyes and ears will be glued to their television or radio for the details.

Expectations will be high across the country for Manning to deliver the goods, especially reassuring the population that Government will commit significant resources to win the war against crime. Businessmen in Chaguanas and Princes Town have vowed to shut down their businesses today to protest rising crime in TT. Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday, who has been advocating civil disobedience since 2001, has expressed support for their actions. President of the San Juan Business Association Gail Merhair claimed crime is causing capital flight from TT but St Augustine MP Winston Dookeran said the UNC has “no official figures” to back up such allegations. Manning said only a “holistic  approach” could effectively deal with crime and in the 2002/2003 Budget, $1.9 billion was allocated to deal with both the law enforcement and social aspects of crime. Government delivered on its promise in that Budget of an Anti-Kidnapping Bill, eventually passed without UNC support, and the issue of corruption will come to the fore again with Attorney General Glenda Morean laying declaration of assets forms for the Integrity Commission in Parliament today and tough anti-corruption legislation to come in January.

Manning also hinted at significant expenditure in the area of border security with Government allocating $1.3 million in the last Budget to upgrade the Coast Guard’s communications systems with a further $1.4 million to acquire vehicles and equipment and refurbishment of vessels. In July, National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee disclosed the signing of a US$945,000 agreement with the United States to upgrade the nation’s coastal radar system and other border security initiatives. With Government under fire on the crime front, Chin Lee will be hoping for major reinforcements from the Budget. Health Minister Colm Imbert also has high Budget expectations. Imbert said that Government will approach the IDB for a three-year extension on its Health Sector Reform Programme (HSRP) from July 2003 to 2006 and an additional $500 million will be injected into the health sector over the next few years. Imbert said the UNC only implemented 25 percent of the HSRP while they were in office. Addressing the PNM Diego Martin East constituency conference yesterday, Imbert said: “The PNM is at a juncture in the history of the country to do tremendous good.” He predicted there will be “sweeping changes in the way health care is managed in TT.”
  
In the last Budget, education needs were viewed as equal to health’s and Education Minister Hazel Manning seems set to receive a large piece of the budgetary pie. Addressing the same conference, Manning neither confirmed nor denied that this was so but revealed that her Ministry has developed a strategic plan to handle TT’s educational needs from 2002 to 2006. Elements of that plan include technology blocks in all schools (and NIPDEC will soon sign a contract to undertake this project), deshifting of all junior secondary schools by 2006, creation of a student support services unit within the Education Ministry and the opening of additional secondary schools by year’s end. “We will use this policy document as our Bible,” she declared and lamented that the former government simply used the PNM’s 1993-2003 education policy document to get funds from the Inter-American Development Bank but did nothing to improve the standards of education in the country. Manning predicted that the new fiscal year “will be an active year in education.” Other education initiatives such as the proposed University of TT are certain to come up for review. Government sources last week said these three Ministries would receive increases in their financial allocations. Manning is expected to continue Government’s focus on the social sector in today’s Budget, in keeping with the theme “People our Priority” from the last Budget. Manning’s announcement this week of an expansion of the CEPEP programme is certain to draw fire from the Opposition. Panday will give a detailed Budget reply at a public meeting in Debe at 7 pm.