Cabinet to get 2020 plan by year-end

THE National Strategic Development Plan for Trinidad and Tobago to achieve developed country status by 2020 is expected to be finalised and submitted to Cabinet by the last quarter of this year. A statement yesterday from the Ministry of Planning and Development, said Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, in one of her recent status reports to Cabinet on the Vision 2020 exercise, pointed out that considerable work had been undertaken on the preparation of sector strategic plans by sub-committees. They were established for various sector studies and are in the process of completing their reports. The staff of the Socio-Economic Policy Planning Division of the Ministry, together with five research technicians and four professionals with specific skills and experience, have been providing technical support to the sub-committees.

The statement added that the latest initiative in the Vision 2020 planning process to be implemented was the national public information media campaign. The Ministry has engaged the services of a production coordinator to produce and implement the media campaign, which revolves around a series of live television talk shows, simulcast on several radio stations. That campaign is expected to run until September. Additionally, the UNDP has contracted Kairi Consultants to design, manage and implement the broader based public participatory process. A total of 49 consultative sessions, comprising 19 at the regional level, 20 within communities and ten focussed on special interests, are to be held throughout the country beginning this month.