Imbert: $50m for THA for oil spill

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert has said a $50 million supplementation to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in the 2023/2024 budget is to assist the THA to deal with its costs associated with the February 7 oil spill that occurred off Tobago's coast.

He made this comment before the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives approved this sum on June 3.

Imbert said the THA submitted a request to government for $153 million to assist its efforts to deal with the oil spill.

"The Ministry of Finance has determined they should be given $50 million."

In response to questions from opposition MPs, Imbert said this determination was made by technocrats in the ministry's budgets and valuation division based on an analysis of the request from the THA.

Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh asked how much of the $50 million was used for clean-up and how much was used for remediation.

Imbert promised to provide the breakdown at a later time.

Indarsingh asked if the $50 million represented a final cost for the THA's expenses to address the oil spill.

Imbert replied, "We don't know. We don't control the THA. They may submit an additional request. I do not know."

Indarsingh asked what was government's total bill with respect to the oil spill.

Imbert replied, "That is completely irrelevant. This is the THA aspect of it (oil spill).

Indarsingh asked if the $50 million being provided by government to the THA will form part of its claim to the UK-based International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC) for funding to cover costs incurred by government and the THA with respect to addressing the oil spill.

Imbert replied. "The answer is yes."

At a news conference at the ministry at Tower C of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre on May 6, Energy Minister Stuart Young said government may be able to access some degree of funding from the IOPC to covers some of the costs it and the THA incurred to deal with the oil spill.

At that time, Young estimated the costs incurred by government to deal with the spill to be anywhere from US$14 to $20 million.

Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram asked how soon would the $50 million become available to the THA.

Imbert reminded him that the House sits on June 7 to debate the supplementation of appropriation bill to approve the total $2.3 billion in supplementations that the committee would approve on June 3.

The $50 million supplementation to the THA was included in that figure.

The Senate will sit on June 11 to approve the same bill.

Imbert said after that, the bill will be assented by President Christine Kangaloo.

"That usually takes a couple of days and then as soon as cash flow permits, the money will be sent to the THA."

While Imbert was speaking, committee chairman House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George had to caution Indarsingh, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein about speaking at the same time.

She asked Indarsingh to control his "lovely baritone."

Annisette-George told Hosein and Moonilal, "Even though you don't sing in the baritone section, the song is still disturbing."

In response to an inaudible comments from the opposition benches, Annisette-George said Hosein and Moonilal "might be tenors."