De Nobriga on Cabinet Tobago retreat: No frolicking under this PM

CABINET heads to Tobago for a three-day retreat from Wednesday to Friday, Communication Minister Symon de Nobriga told Newsday on Monday, but it will be all about serious business ahead of the upcoming national budget and not leisure.

A TTT news report said the agenda will include planning and future spending, including using some $644 million in recent IMF funding to help small and medium businesses.

Asked about the agenda, De Nobriga told Newsday, "That will be the sole responsibility of the Prime Minister, through the Minister of Planning and Minister of Finance as well. The Prime Minister sets the agenda.

"The primary reason for the retreat is obviously that we are very close to the end of the fiscal year, so we will speak about what has happened over the year and what we'll be looking forward to, for each ministry and from a whole-of-government perspective, for the new financial year."

He confirmed a new budget is expected soon, as the financial year ends in September.

"We are looking at a budget in a matter of weeks. So of course every ministry will be looking to see what the continuation of their works will be and what new projects there may be as well.

"More than ever, given the financially trying times we are in, it is imperative we come together as a team, almost in one working session, to speak about where it is we are going."

Newsday asked about Facebook critics accusing ministers of heading to Tobago for an alleged frolic in the surf during the current covid19 restrictions.

De Nobriga replied, "I think that anybody who says that ministers are going to frolic anywhere, number one, has no idea as to the level of work that these sessions will incur, and two, does not know the nature of the prime minister of this country. He will never bring any group of people together to frolic when there is work to be done.

"So I think that position is probably born out of a level of ignorance, and not ignorance in a bad way, but just that they don't know."

Newsday asked if the process of travel between Trinidad and Tobago could funnel ministers into a small space and raise their risk of getting covid19.

De Nobriga replied, "Having not travelled since this thing has started, except once to Tobago, my experience was not that. My experience from start to finish was one of social distancing in the extreme.

"Secondly, everybody that forms our team is vaccinated."

He added that vaccination was a first line of defence, to be supported by social distancing, which ministers practise.

"There is spacing on the flights. In all of these places you'd have the responsibility of the agency in charge to enforce a certain level of separation to make sure we are adhering to all the health protocols around social distancing and all that."

Asked if he was optimistic ahead of the retreat, he said, "I'm always driven by optimism. As a new minister this will be my first experience with this sort of a retreat and that is one of the things I'm looking forward to and it is obviously something that has been affected by covid19 and the restrictions that apply, even to us as colleagues in government."

De Nobriga said ministers don't often get the chance to sit in one space, an event at which younger minsters can learn from their older colleagues.

"I'm really looking forward to sitting down to bounce ideas off my more experienced colleagues and even my young counterparts, just to get fresh eyes on our direction, and more so how my ministry can continue to support the efforts of other ministries as well."

Cabinet will meet at the PM's offical residence in Tobago, at Blenheim, but each ministry is arranging overnight accommodation for its minister, De Nobriga said. He will be staying at "the state-owned hotel in Tobago," he said, referring to the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort.