tidings
Corey Connelly
The THA is expected to present its budget restatement agenda on Thursday to the Legislative Assembly in Scarborough, Tobago.
In September, Tobago received an allocation of $2.5 billion in the $57.6 billion national budget to manage its affairs over the coming year. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine had requested $3.9 billion in the THA budget presentation in June.
Of the $2.5 billion, $2.2 billion was allocated for recurrent expenditures, $300 million for the THA development program, $18 million for URP, and $9.2 million for CEPEP.
Due to the shortfall in the allocation, Agustin met with executive and administrative heads last month to review the assembly’s agenda.
At a press conference last Friday at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex, Augustine said the THA will present its revised agenda at Thursday’s plenary session.
“After the national budget, we sat down as a team with the administrative heads of the Tobago House of Assembly and we diligently went through all the priorities according to funding and so the outcome of that exercise will be presented to the House of Representatives,” he said. , urging Tobagonians to pay attention to key areas for the 2023 fiscal year.
Augustini said THA is also preparing for an island-wide discussion on the strategic plan for the island.
“Some of you may be aware of the CEDP 2.0 (Comprehensive Economic Development Plan) for the island that expired a few years ago. It is necessary that we come up with a strategic plan that will take care of the short, medium and long term plans and strategies for the island of Tobago. The question is, ‘Where do you see this island in four years, ten years, 20 years, 30 years?’
Augustini also addressed climate change, saying there is an urgent need for THA to come up with a position on the issue.
“One of the things we need to do as an island that I think we haven’t done enough of in the past is to sit down and have a strategic plan that specifically addresses climate change and the impact it will have on our weather systems. “
He noted that world leaders and environmentalists at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference complained about the perceived inaction of many countries in addressing the issue head-on.
He said Tobago, like many other islands in the eastern Caribbean, was predisposed to the effects of climate change because of its geological makeup.
“We have to learn to live with the sea on one side and the hills on the other because most of our communities are located between the sea and the main ridge.
“This means that on one front the sea is fighting against us to take all the lands we have. We see what’s going on in the back of Scarborough Secondary. Very old people will tell you that at some point they could walk from Lambeau to Scarborough on a beach. That is not possible today.”
Augustini said many people also live on the hillsides because of the geological makeup of the island.
“Part of this island is volcanic in rock type and basic geology will tell you that we will have some rich, fertile soils, but we will have steep slopes, cliffs, hills to contend with as part of our makeup. geological.
“That means when we’ve had rainfall like we’ve had, we’re going to have a lot of landslides. We’re going to have to deal with that.”
He said that people continue to build houses without permission from the relevant agencies.
“We built without considering what might happen along these hills.
“While the rains fall. With the arrival of storms, we face this difficulty. Some of our neighbors have faced difficulties these past few weeks. So there is an urgent need to tackle this problem head on.”
