West: Ignore ‘shiny objects,’ it's a great budget

MINISTER of Public Administration Allyson West urged people not to fall for distractions – which she dubbed "shiny objects and fads" – but to be confident that the Government was acting in the population's best interest in its budget, during a debate in the Senate on Thursday.

Without infinite revenues it was impossible to satisfy all needs, she said, so the Government must now prioritise, have a plan, and be ready to make tough decisions. The Government's policy, West said, has been to protect lives and livelihoods through the pandemic, and chart a sustainable future.

"This Government has demonstrated that it is not about winning elections. We will make decisions for the good future of TT."

Saying the fuel subsidy had once been $7 billion, she said that money could have instead been spent on young people, healthcare and fixing roads. West disagreed with Independent Senator Anthony Vieira's view, voiced on Wednesday, that the budget had not offered hope.

She said, "It is not because the Government isn't doing anything, but because of the naysayers."Likening critics to a children's fictional character, she scoffed, "Like Chicken Licken, every day the sky is falling."West hailed the budget's measures of the housing and village programme, GATE, manufacturing tax credits, energy-company tax breaks, plus "a slew of programmes" for youngsters under the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service.

West then said a work-from-home policy must be carefully crafted by considering an array of factors, via consultation including with trade unions. If not done properly, she said, it could have disastrous consequences.

Citing Justice Frank Seepersad's call for a reform of service commissions, West said the Government could not rely on opposition support to do this but would still address it. Noting an abundance of caution by permanent secretaries, she hoped to promote better risk assessment and responsible risk-taking among them.

She promised a performance evaluation in the Public Service, starting with permanent secretaries. West noted the unusual situation that permanent secretaries report to their minister but the latter has no input into their assessment.

She said only the permanent secretary to the Prime Minister has input in assessing other permanent secretaries via his/her role as head of the public service, but she then said this latter post does not actually exist formally. She promised a rationalising of the position.