Senior Political Reporter
Tobago House of Assembly Minority Leader Kelvon Morris has called out THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine on the fact that the $32 million in supplemental funding the island will receive is much less than the THA received in previous years from the past People’s National Movement government. Furthermore, he says the $102 million loan which the Government is finalising from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) will only saddle the THA with debt. “It’s no ‘gift’,” Morris declared.
Morris made the comment after Finance Minister Dave Tancoo announced the additional $32 million in funding and the CAF loan arrangement for Tobago while delivering the Mid-year Budget Review during Wednesday’s Parliament sitting at the Red House, Port-of-Spain.
Debate pertained to a total of $3.2 billion in additional funding to the 2025 Budget. Tobago was among the 28 divisions receiving additional funding.
However, Morris, the THA’s lone assemblymen in the THA, emphasised that the $32 million in supplementary funding Tobago will receive is just one per cent of the overall adjustment, “or one per cent of every additional dollar approved to be spent nationally.”
“And the loan of (US)$15 or (TT)$102 million is a separate arrangement which the THA must repay from future allocations. This is by no means a gift nor should it be portrayed as part of Government support. The loan is simply debt, for Tobago and THA—not Government support,” Morris said.
He pointed out that the $32 million is less than the supplementary funding allocations Tobago has received in mid-year reviews since 2022.
Morris added, “In 2022 under the past government, Tobago received $60 million in supplementary funding in the mid-year review, in 2023 Tobago got $100 million and in 2024, Tobago received $50 million in supplementary funds.
“And even then, the Chief Secretary described that as ‘fiscal wickedness’. I’d like to know from him now how he feels about Tobago being allocated a paltry $32 million in supplementary funding—much less than what THA got from the PNM government.
“On top of reduced supplementary funding, how does he feel about this $102 million loan the UNC Government is negotiating for Tobago on pretext of it being a ‘gift’—but which will have to be repaid.”
Tancoo: Govt will ensure Tobago gets fair share
During the Mid-year Budget Review debate, Tancoo specifically addressed plans for Tobago, saying, “I want to address some misinformation that the Tobago PNM are sharing. I have to say the ‘Tobago PNM’ because right now, the PNM’s split into many adversarial factions, with many leaders. Even in this House, I’m unsure who’s leading and who’s following on their bench.”
He said the United National Congress (UNC) wasn’t “... vindictive to the people of Tobago like those opposite.”
“This Government, led by the Honourable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is a Government for all T&T. Unlike the PNM, we’ve openly expressed a desire to work with our brothers and sisters in Tobago and to ensure Tobago gets a fair share of the national pie.”
Tancoo added, “For fiscal 2025, the then-minister of finance promised the THA $2.6 billion. This allocation left the THA with very little for development programmes on the island.
“I’m proud to announce that the THA will receive an additional $134 million under this Government, led by this Prime Minister and $32 million of this will be allocated via the Supplementary Expenditure.
“In addition, (on Tuesday) I met with representatives of CAF, the Caribbean Bank of Latin America, and I’m proud to announce that this Government is finalising arrangements for the signing of a US$15 million (TT$102 million) loan from CAF to undertake several coastal protection projects across Tobago. I’m advised these projects were identified as critical for the benefit of the people of Tobago.”
Tancoo said the loan was negotiated, “but for more than a year, the PNM finance minister refused to sign the agreement! Pure vindictiveness and wickedness towards Tobagonians!”
He said the Prime Minister has instructed him “to remove the stumbling blocks and work with CAF and the THA to start this work.”
He continued, “In addition, every ministry and state agency spending money in Tobago on projects and programmes will be required to liaise directly with the Chief Secretary, the two Tobago MPs and the THA administration to finalise expenditures for fiscal 2025. That would account for an additional $621 million from October 2024 to September 2025.
“For Budget 2026/27 and going forward, this Government intends to liaise with the Tobago MPs and the THA in Tobago to ensure that the elected officials of Tobago, the MPs and the THA, have a direct say in expenditure being undertaken by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”