Some suggestions for 2022/23 budget

THE EDITOR: I offer here some suggestions for budget 2022/2023:

1. Increase the disposable income of citizens by increasing the personal tax allowance to $100,000 because of the diminishing purchasing power of the TT dollar and high food price inflation.

2. Make use of all the government-owned housing stock. There are several units built but not occupied

3. Make use of all non-occupied school stock. Put them to use for the learning purpose for which they were built. Several remain unoccupied for political reasons. Some can be converted to trade schools in agriculture, construction, science, mechanics and cultural learning and development.

4. Develop and maintain an ongoing food sustainability forum of and for farmers that would continuously monitor and guide the direction of agriculture: the use of agricultural lands for agricultural purposes, the understanding and monitoring of crop rotation and seasonal crop growth, best practice in harvesting and getting food to market, workable incentives that would sustain the agricultural industry and reduce food imports.

5. Make better and a more sustained use of the Lake Asphalt product in the repair and maintenance of roads.

6. Implement national health insurance to include the private medical services stock.

7. Ensure equity in the payment of NIS pensions and the increase that is due to those who have paid more than the required contributions.

8. Provide free internet service and IT education for all senior citizens (who wish to avail these services) to facilitate their banking and payment of bills, etc.

9. Provide, as a pilot project, free mini-bus call-and-respond service for senior citizens, who must register for this service, which will operate in a defined area of their district. The service could be used for essential shopping trips – supermarket, bank, pharmacy, etc within their respective areas.

10. Put into effect the procurement legislation and regulations with no reporting or investigative exceptions.

11. Establish a fully functional and fully autonomous and funded Constitution Reform Commission.

12. Recall the intended property tax.

13. Place strong emphasis on agriculture and food production – redirect the CEPEP workers to agriculture work.

14. Create a national service obligation – all citizens must participate/register in a national service programme to enjoy state benefits (housing, medical, financial grants, etc).

15. Have severe penalties for crimes against the State – damage/pilfering of state property (including $$$).

16. Privatise non-strategic state entities.

17. Start a progressive programme to reduce/remove all subsidies.

18. Reduce the size of the civil service, government and Cabinet.

GORDON LAUGHLIN

via e-mail