By Sue-Ann Wayow
YOUNG people must not be excluded from the national budgeting process as they play a critical role in the future of Trinidad and Tobago.
Economist Dr Marlene Attzs said at a panel discussion entitled Youth and the Budget Process, it was ironic that youths were engaged during election time by politicians but not afterwards.
The discussion was hosted by Parliament.
“A national budget should be of shared priorities and goals and a commitment to public participation and collaborative governance… It is ironic that when we have election campaigning, youths are the people that you see in the forefront because they are the ones who have the technical savvy, they come up with the best jingles, they know how to do all of these things but after that time is done, then we kind of abandon our youth,” she said.
Dr Attzs said if their value was recognised, they needed to be nurtured through the budgetary process as well.
Youth involvement can yield creative solutions to tackle policy issues such as small and medium enterprise development and economic diversification, improve dissemination of correct information, encourage them to become involved in civil society and governance and can assist with sustainable development, she said.
“Decisions that governments make today will have an impact on several generations,” Dr Attzs said.
Critical was also conversations around debt management as she referred to a Central Bank report that indicates the decreasing of international debt but the increase of local debt, the burden of which is going to fall on the youths.
All these issues are good enough reasons why they should be included in at least parts of the budgetary discussions.
Dr Attzs said, “It makes good sense so that the persons to whom we hand the baton in future generations they will know what they are getting into and they will do that as willing and able citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Several budgetary issues affect either directly or indirectly youths, she also said.
These include: employment, planning and skills development, education and training, crime and national security, climate change, sport and youth, agriculture and youth.
Also speaking at the panel discussion were Youth Development Specialist Dr Henry Charles, Chief Executive Officer of the Heroes Foundation Lawrence Arjoon, Trade Specialist Leeooi-Onika Howard. The event was moderated by Youth Peace and Security Consultant Khaleem Ali.
