Govt must heed climate change

“From May 2015 to now we are in an unprecedented run where every successive month is hotter than before in the recorded history of mankind,” he said.

In 2030, he warned, Trinidad and Tobago was at risk of reaching its “climate departure date,” where our hottest temperature will be the coolest going forward.

“We signed the sustainable development goals [acknowledging] climate change and its impact and I am yet to see anything. I didn’t see anything in the Budget—and I didn’t expect to—but here’s why it’s important: we are a small island and the biggest impact of climate change is rising sea levels,” Small said in his contribution to the Budget debate in the Senate on Friday.

Small also lamented what he called a “malaise in state enterprises and institutions.” The system is broken, he said, and accused entities of a dereliction of duty where no one is held to account. These institutions feel they can do what they want, he said, without reporting to Parliament or line ministries, and they get away with it.

He also questioned why it was the State’s duty to “support every single cultural even in the country.” “Where are our true entrepreneurs? Why must the state contribute so many contracts to so many companies for them just to survive? Why does everyone expect the State to give everything for free? How many of us can say what we have contributed to Trinidad & Tobago? What have we given back? Where are the patriots?” he asked.

He also hit back at energy companies who try to influence government policy.

“I have a huge massive problem with any chief executive of any company signalling to the government that if they do not do this then we will not do that. I do not accept that. You are a CEO. we are a sovereign state. It is up to us to push back. We can say we hear and we will facilitate but here is what we need,” he said.

Last month at its Statistical Review Luncheon, bpTT’s chairman Norman Christie subtly hinted to the government that if the investment environment isn’t appealing, then project that have yet to be approved may not be approved at all.

Also during his Budget contribution, Small commended the government’s tax free saving bonds initiative as an investment measure against “the ongoing banditry in terms of fees” being charged by commercial banks.

“The spread between lending and interest rates is atrocious,” he said, adding that he hoped it would lead to a significant amount of investment instead of capital in banks getting negative returns.

Small also said he agreed with the fuel subsidy being removed, but that the approach should be better.

Instead of the Minister just taking a “back pocket approach,” he said, there should be more planning s