Tobago economy neglected

By NEWSDAY REPORTER

COUVA North MP Ramona Ramdial has slammed comments by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who at a PNM rally in Mt Lambert last Friday, said that special attention was being paid to the Tobago economy, particularly development of its Tourism Sector.

Rowley said focus was being placed on construction of the Sandals Hotel and the Tobago Airport Terminal to put Tobago in a position to compete with the best in the region in making tourism a revenue earner.

But in a release on the weekend, Ramdial said these plans will take years to implement and the reality is that the Tobago economy is currently being sorely neglected by this government.

She referred to comments in the media by chairman of the Tobago Division of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce Claude Benoit who said that Tobago was in intensive care and needs help urgently.

Benoit, in media reports, added that Tobago was not benefitting from the so-called turnaround of the economy as elucidated by Finance Minister Colm Imbert in his mid-year Budget review and that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) was failing the island.

Most importantly, Ramdial said, was Benoit’s appeal for an injection of funding to prevent further closure of businesses and hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. THA Secretary of Finance and the Economy Joel Jack yesterday delivered the 2018/2019 THA budget.

Ramdial in her release said that it was no secret that the government with its poor handling of the sea-bridge issues has contributed to Tobago’s economic decline. What is worse, she added, is the blind defence by the two Tobago MPs of government’s bad decisions.

Statements of “Tobago is not suffering” and “the availability of almond milk and yogurt in groceries”, as if to signal a reliable supply of goods on the island, were delusional, unpatriotic and unacceptable.

To add insult to injury, the non-action of the THA to lobby for assistance from central government for the Tobago business sector is disenchanting and a betrayal to the Tobago people.

Instead, Ramdial said, we have millions of dollars being spent annually on the Tobago Jazz festival with no revenues being generated, the issue of the missing $10 million stolen from the THA accounts meant for Virgin Atlantic Airways and no update on investigations or any release on a promised audit report. “Again I call upon Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to get his government’s priorities in order and show some compassion and understanding for Tobago. I implore him to meet with the Tobago business community and other stakeholders and find a way to help them save their businesses from closure.