Augustine: Oil-spill clean-up allocation fell short by $100m

TOBAGO House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine accused the Government of a crime against Tobago, in presenting his THA budget for October 2024-September 2025 on June 24.

He gave figures suggesting the Government's allocation to the THA for the oil-spill clean-up had fallen short by over $100 million.

An oil spill on February 7 from a barge that overturned off Cove, Tobago, contaminated several kilometres of Tobago's coastline, including several beaches, and also affected fishermen's livelihoods.

He said so far $17 million had been paid to contractors for the oil-spill clean-up, with $51.5 million outstanding as of April 30, 2024. Some $16.5 million more was projected since that date.

Augustine said in addition, $60 million was needed to dispose of the retrieved oil, now stored in open tanks at Studley Park. Heavy rainfall could turn this into an ecological disaster, he said, so that sum was urgently required.

The THA had requested $154 million for these costs in the mid-year review but only been allocated $50 million, he lamented, and compensation to fisherfolk had not even been factored in.

Augustine also accused the Government of failing to give the THA "a reasonable, fair and just share" of national revenues. By way of example, he claimed the recent mid-year review should have seen Tobago being allocated $94 million under the Dispute Resolution Committee mechanism, but it had been allocated only $50 million.

He said the THA had requested $300 million of the $2.3 billion supplementary allocation.
The colonial legacy of the Constitution, he said, now saw the Government responsible for every social and economic aspect of Tobago.

Despite this, he said his administration would still aim to make Tobago "the greatest little island on the planet."

Augustine said the national budget has been "weaponised" against Tobago, and should be regarded as "budget attrition 101" under a criminal code.

"Might I add that part of unlocking Tobago's development potential requires Tobagonians to kick the door down?"

Augustine alleged "pure unadulterated fight-down, bad mind and wickedness."
But, he said, "This is my solemn promise to Tobago: Tobago shall overcome."

Tobago's GDP was $1.66 billion, unemployment was three per cent, and 60 per cent of workers were employed by the State and 40 per cent by the private sector (compared to 20 per cent and 76 per cent respectively in Trinidad), according to Augustine's figures.
Some 23 per cent of the population has tertiary education, 60 per cent secondary and 17 per cent primary, as their highest level of education, he said.