TTARP vexed over cut in GATE for seniors

The organisation said this exclusion of senior citizens from the GATE assistance, in the week when the international day of older persons was celebrated throughout the world, was a clear confirmation of the practice of age discrimination or ageism by this Government.

“TTARP is deeply hurt and disappointed by this decision, and also the refusal of the Government to consult with the representative of senior citizens in the first exclusion, and again not even the courtesy of a meeting before this budgetary decision,” a release from TTARP stated.

TTARP said it favoured many of the budgetary proposals such as the Savings Bond and other bonds, the electricity subsidy, the Tobago tourism development plans of a new airport and hotel development, and applauded the plans to set up a Revenue Authority and National Statistical Institute.

However, it was disappointed that the plan to set up a National Health Insurance, which was proposed by TTARP for many years and long overdue was bypassed.

“The Association is disappointed that no mention was made of the broken public health care system which suffering seniors encounter on a daily basis either by long delays, lack of medication, long years of waiting for critical surgeries and in some cases inhumane treatment,” the organisation said.