Charles: THA to focus on tourism, agriculture, manufacturing

The Tobago House of Assembly will focus on developing tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and specialised service with its $2.229 billion budget allocation for 2018/2019 fiscal year.

So said Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, speaking at a press conference last Thursday.

The THA had requested $5.2 billion request from the national budget in its proposal submitted in June. From its $2.229 billion allocation, $1.979 billion is for recurrent spending, $231 million for development and $18 million for the Unemployed Relief Programme.

Charles said despite reduced allocations over the last year, his administration, over the past 20 months, was able to to consolidate gains, maintain employment levels, facilitate a reasonable level of aggregate disposable income to cushion the impact of reduced demands for goods and services, sow new seeds of enterprise and establish a renewed focus on agriculture and tourism.

"Positive things are happening on the island of Tobago, for those who are yet unaware, they will be soon seeing and feeling the impact of these things. Today we are beginning to see the first fruits of our labour and it is now time for increasing our thrust in the key areas identified for growth and I tell you unequivocally and unambiguously that will happen....

“A Public Private Partnership unit has been established in the Division of Finance and the Economy where it is anticipated over the next year this unit will procure private sector partners to invest with the THA in its development projects."

Charles said the Division hopes to access additional funds totalling $300 million for local financial establishments to finance development programme. This was a a measure announced in the 2018/2019 budget by Finance Minister Colm Imbert last week Monday.

Charles also said that he had faith that problems with inter-island transport would soon be a thing of the past given that Imbert had also announced in his budget presentation the necessary funding was in place to buy two new passenger fast ferries that were expected to arrive in May 2020.

“Tourism was identified as one of the drivers of the Tobago economy as well as one of the strategies for diversification and in this regards the sum of $2.4 million was allocated towards the restoration and upgrades of historical sites to international standards.

“This sum will be increased, $40 million has been allocated towards the Tobago Tourism Agency… to assist with its three-year strategic plan, $20 million has been allocated towards the operations of the agency. This represents $19 million over last year’s allocation, so it does emphasise where our priorities lie. We propose to make an additional $10 million available to assist the agency with its mandate,” Charles said.

Charles also announced that at the World Travel Market in November, “we will be signing an agreement that will see the return of the Apollo flight from Canada in the winter of 2019.

“We are in talks with the Sunwing Travel group out of Canada and we will be exploring the possibilities. Sunwing is the largest integrated company in North America and it comprises tour operators, Sunwing Airlines, travel retail business operations and travel management services. We are exploring the possibility of engaging them in a strategic alliance.”

Charles also spoke of plans to create a wildlife nature park in Goldsborough at the Lure Estate, which he said would boost Tobago’s thrust in tourism as well as ensuring conservation of the environment.

For agriculture, Charles said 28 work packages, valued at $20 million, have been distributed for the development of new access roads for Tobago farmers.

“We are working closely with stakeholders such as the Goldsborough farmers, Tobago Agriculture Society as well as other key stakeholders to ramp up production. We would have been able to pressure the University to Trinidad and Tobago to offer a diploma programme in Agriculture and that programme is currently being done at the Hospitality Institute.”

As regard small businesses and manufacturing, Charles said $9.5 million would be invested in business development and entrepreneurship in Tobago.

“This investment is important to continue support the creation of an enabling environment for our businesses to flourish. One of the weakness of our economy is that we do not have a robust private sector and therefore the THA had to be the prime employer of persons on the island in excess of 60 percent. If we talk to any economist, they would say that is not a good position to be in,” he said.