Caption: Farley Augustine. Photo: Facebook
By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Tobago House of Assembly (THA) continues to receive a miniscule amount of Central’s government budgetary allocation, an act that is almost criminal.
This is according to THA’s Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.
Augustine, in his capacity as Secretary of Finance, Trade and the Economy presented the Assembly’s budget – on Monday under the theme, Unlocking Tobago’s Development Potential. He is asking for $3.9 billion to run the THA for the next fiscal year – October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.
Since taking office in 2021, after decades of People’s National Movement (PNM) governance, Augustine said the THA was nowhere closer to full financial stability as pleas to central government remain answered.
Augustine said, “The Central Government has seemingly lost its way and continues to be demonstrably incapable of deploying practical and sustainable solutions to the many problems confronting this republic. More pertinently, it is wantonly opposed to providing a reasonable fair and just share of the national resources to the Tobago House of Assembly.”
He referred to the Mid-Term Budget Review that concluded recently stating that the THA was allocated $50 million instead of the $300 million requested.
Rightfully, the THA should have received a minimum of $94 million in keeping with the lawful dispute resolution commission recommendations, Augustine said.
“This behaviour can now be classified under the new criminal code as budgetary attrition 101,” he declared.
Describing the low budgetary allocation as “the continued weaponisation of the annual budget against Tobago” Augustine said his executive continues to remain committed to developing Tobago’s potential.
It might require Tobagonians to kick the door down, he added.
One such example was with the housing sector.
Augustine said in fiscal 2025, the THA proposes to start construction of 54 housing solutions in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“In fact, let me inform this House as I have done before that the Tobago House of Assembly has done everything required and our information is that it has been stuck at the Ministry of Housing and it has not been sent to the IDB stalling this project,” he told the Assembly.
Augustine stated, “But with or without the collaboration, we shall build these housing units in Riseland.”
He said for fiscal 2025, the THA will be expecting more from Central Government.
“Any allocation to the THA in fiscal 2025 that is less than 5.8% will constitute a non-alleviation of the per capita in expenditure inequality that has defined the national budget since 1962 and more recently from 2011.
“All Tobago is requesting is budgeting or budgetary per capita expenditure equality and a minimum revenue share into the THA of which is calculated at a measly $5.80 out of every budgeted $100 proposed in the national expenditure for fiscal 2025,”Augustine said.
In his opening statements, he knocked the Government for not doing enough to ensure Tobago’s self governance ensuring that the island was still stuck in colonialism.
He said, “It is the unpleasant experiences of this demonstrative denial from since 1962 even before the Assembly was re-established that have kept Tobagonians fighting from generation to generation for constitutional transformation.”
“This is because our current colonial constitution inhumanely provides for the Central government to determine and control virtually every aspect of Tobago’s social and economic development.”
Augustine also thanked all those who made contributions and suggestions, his wife and family and God for being able to make his third budget presentation in the THA.
He also implied that it may be his last as Secretary of Finance, Trade and the Economy.
