Minority Leader chastises THA for not holding media briefings

MINORITY Leader Kelvon Morris has chastised the Farley Augustine-led THA for not hosting any post-executive council media briefings in recent months.

“When last have we heard from our executive councils? Do we know if they even meet as an executive council?” he asked on the Tobago Updates morning show on Wednesday.

Morris said in the past, after every executive council meeting, its leadership would come to Tobagonians and report on how it was managing the island’s business.

“But what is even further disappointing is, I recall this Chief Secretary, upon his inauguration, promised transparency in the manner in which the executive council conducts its business. (He) even promised to expose and allow the media to come into the executive council so that we all can see the deliberations and have an appreciation for how the island is being managed.”

To date, he said, that promise had not materialised, and he said it has been almost an entire year that this executive council has not called a press conference.

“We don’t know what is happening.”

Morris, assemblyman for Darrel Spring/Whim, raised the issue as he responded to a question about Tobago’s $2.58 billion allocation – just over four per cent – in the 2024 national budget.

Told that Tobago’s allocation has consistently been just over four per cent, Morris said, “I think when you have a pie to share, like any family, when you have resources to share, you try to balance off the needs of everyone.

“And therefore, when you are in a twin-island state, when you have needs across the country, there will always be a jostling for resources, and for some reason, traditionally, Tobago continues to receive the lower end of the spectrum.”

He said the PNM had advanced a “very progressive” autonomy bill for the people of Tobago, under which the island would automatically have received 6.8 per cent of the national budget.

“That was rejected by Farley Chavez Augustine and his team. And we are seeing right now what they are actually asking for is within that very 6.8 per cent.

“So had they supported that bill, Tobago, without having to clamour and beg, having to make noise, would have benefited from 6.8 per cent.”

Saying PNM administrations in the past had to make do with 4.03 per cent of the national budget, Morris said the party had done a lot to benefit Tobago in infrastructure, employment and financial aid for students.

“Under the THA, what we are seeing are young people getting their contracts terminated; contractors not being paid; people who depend on the social services cannot get support; farmers depending on TADCO to take their products, they are not being paid.

“It is a total mess, chaos and, as a young Tobagonian, I am quite disappointed with the way it is being managed.”

Morris said while there will always be a push for a greater allocation to develop the island, “We also have to look at what we receive and hold those who are responsible for managing those funds to account.”

He recalled in 2021, on the cusp of the new administration's assuming office, Tobago received about $2.4 billion in budget allocation and in 2022, $2.5 billion.

“In 2023, they are going to benefit from $2.6 billion. So you are seeing the increase in the allocation from the central government.

“What you are not seeing commensurate with that is the level of development on the island.”

Morris claimed Tobagonians are not better off.

“For me, when I speak to the people in Darrel Spring/Whim and across Tobago, a lot of people are saying that this administration has failed to meet the expectations of the average Tobagonian.”