Elizabeth Gonzales
Tobago Correspondent
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine remains sceptical about Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s promise to address inefficiencies at Tobago’s Registrar General’s Office, saying he won’t “keep his fingers crossed” about the commitment made on Thursday.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Augustine explained that a Cabinet decision removed the Deputy Registrar General’s responsibilities from Tobago’s Central Administrative Services (CAST). When the officer in the role resigned, Tobago was forced to rely on Trinidad for support with technical and office work.
On Thursday at a post-Cabinet briefing, Dr Rowley denied that the Government is trying to reduce Tobago’s rights. He said, “It’s not a policy position on the part of the Government; it’s clearly personalities and interpretations of the law, and the Government has to intervene to ensure that any imposition of personal preferences or spurious interpretations of the law is dealt with in an appropriate way.”
He said he had instructed Attorney General Reginald Armour to, again, find a way to resolve the matter.
However, Augustine said he was sceptical. “I am not even keeping my fingers crossed,” he told Guardian Media, adding that Tobagonians will suffer until it is resolved.
He demanded immediate action to restore efficient, equal access to services for all Tobagonians.
Augustine lamented, “Tobagonians prior to the decision of his Cabinet to remove the position of Deputy Register General–Central Administrative Services Tobago enjoyed equal service as our counterparts in Trinidad. Today, we are treated less than citizens in Trinidad.”
He pointed out that, previously, CAST was responsible for handling technical issues at the Registrar General’s office in Tobago. Now, problems must be fixed by someone from Trinidad, leading to unnecessary delays for residents needing crucial services like death certificates or deeds.
Augustine criticised the way the Central Government has treated Tobago’s needs, saying, “We went from a system where you could get a birth certificate replaced in one day to now waiting for long periods.”
Attorney Martin George, representing the Tobago Business Chamber, has also denounced ongoing administrative issues as “unforced errors” caused by poor decisions.
He urged the Government, the Attorney General, and the Registrar General to immediately restore Tobago’s authority over critical processes that are now severely delayed.
“The system was working efficiently before,” he said, noting some residents now face delays of up to ten months for documents like death certificates.
—Reporting by Rhondor Dowlat
