Joel Jack hits THA's call for increased budget $$

The THA's calls for increased budgetary allocations has been dismissed by former finance secretary Joel Jack.

Speaking on the Minority Report on October 2, Jack cited a lack of transparency in how funds have been managed and argued that given the country’s financial challenges and the absence of accountability, the THA should not expect more than the minimum allowance.

He criticised the Farley Augustine-led administration for lack of a clear plan on how they intend to drive Tobago’s development. He urged Augustine and his team to be more realistic about the country’s economic challenges before requesting additional funds.

“We’re managing scarce resources, and a prudent Tobago administration would appreciate the challenges nationally. And you know sometimes, a child coming to mummy, 'mummy I want this, mummy I want that,' and they don’t get it and they want to make noise – no.”

He said the economic situation is projected to improve in 2027 when revenue from the Dragon Gas field deal with Venezuela begins to materialise.

“And this hopeless cry, to me, is a smoke screen. Because when you look at the numbers, the numbers tell me that something is going on there that we would see coming out over the next two fiscal periods. I am concerned as all Tobagonians should be with what is happening in the House of Assembly.”

On the issue of inadequate development funding, Jack noted this issue was not new. He said as finance secretary for eight years, he had to manage this challenge by reallocating funds from the recurrent expenditure part of the budgetary allocation.

Jack said the THA administration he was a part of had operated prudently with fewer funds, than what is available to the current administration, whilst ensuring that Tobago's private sector had room to grow. He believes that gains made back then, have regressed over the past three years under the watch of Augustine and the current administration.