Three vital thrusts for budget

THE EDITOR: But seriously, the needs list for a developing (NOT a developed) country in 2005. The basis of development for any country is health, education and agriculture. The international requirement for health expenditure in a developing country is 4-6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If the GDP is $60 billion dollars, this amounts to at least $2.4 billion dollars. It must be noted that the RHAs have a proven track record of financial mismanagement and non-production of audited financial reports.

The international requirement for education in a developing country is also 4-6 percent of GDP. This amounts to $2.4 billion dollars. It must be noted that the majority of skilled workers were graduates of the apprenticeship schemes of the foreign companies, namely Shell, Texaco and British Petroleum. Not only was the country provided with skilled workers, they also maintained farms, schools, sporting fields, water for the community and hosted international events. The well-known are Southern Games at Guaracara Park and Cycling events at Palo Seco. The local companies terminated these luxuries. Hence we have a skills gap of approximately 30 years. Whilst there is a thrust for tertiary education, our secondary schools, namely the Junior and Senior Secondary, must refocus to produce our skilled labour force, the original intention.

Considerable sums of money should also be spent in developing the agricultural sector, to ensure food production. The recent events of imported inflationary food price increases should tell us that unless we produce our own food supply, we will remain at the mercy of international producers. Providing retrenched Caroni workers with two-acre plots of land without any infrastructure is similar to constructing heavy industries without any electricity supply. Not only is the two-acre plot inadequate, one must remember the failed agricultural projects of the government at Waller Field in the 70’s.

Once these three basics are satisfied, other aspects of life in Trinidad and Tobago will start to fall into place. One of these will be crime. Caution must be expressed about tourism promotion at this time. Whilst many will want to capitalise on the demise of the tourism industry of our neighbours caused by recent hurricanes, our social conditions will become over-exposed and will become a long-lasting liability. Efforts however should be immediately placed in proper planning and development of the tourism industry with a marketing strategy to be unleashed in a year or two. But seriously, let us conquer developing status first, otherwise 20/20 may mean dog eat dog.

PHILIP  AYOUNG-CHEE FRCS
San Fernando