IN THE BUDGET: People’s health a PNM priority; Security gets $1.9B bite out of $20B budget pie; Less money this year for Public Sector Investment — $907.3M; Social aid underpins Budget; An umpteenth promise for a Cultural Centre for the Arts; and…
Manning: New TT university coming

By Clint Chan Tack

A new University of Trinidad and Tobago is but one of several education initiatives which will help Government to transform this country into a developed society by 2020.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning made this announcement during his 2002-2003 Budget presentation in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The Prime Minister declared that TT will not achieve any of its economic and social objectives unless there is “optimal development of our human resources” and this was dependent on “improving the quality of education offered to all our citizens”.

With respect to tertiary education, Manning said: “We are committed to providing affordable education at the tertiary level and ensuring that no student is denied a university education based simply on the inability to pay.”

He disclosed that Government intends to deal with the shortage of places at the University of the West Indies through the creation of a University of Trinidad and Tobago “which will initially concentrate on science and technology as we seek to increase our tertiary education graduates from the existing seven percent of our population to 20 percent by 2020”.

Manning said Government would honour existing obligations under the Dollar For Dollar Programme and remained committed to the development of UWI as a regional educational centre. Increases in the number of early childhood education centres, more secondary schools and deshifting of junior secondary schools to allow all students to receive five years of continuous schooling with a standard curriculum.

“We intend to modernise the secondary school curriculum to make it relevant and appropriate to the needs of people, individuals and the country in the global environment of the 21st century,” he declared.

The Prime Minister also touched on Government’s successes under the School Intervention Strategies (SIS) programme to resolve security and discipline problems in the nation’s schools and plans to intensify existing teacher and administrator training programmes and expand the School Nutrition Feeding Programme in Tobago.

People’s health a PNM priority

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

In keeping with theme of “People Our Priority” for his government’s 2003 Budget, Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday announced a ten percent increase in the health budget to $1.263 million and plans to enhance health care for the poor, elderly and persons with chronic non-communicable diseases.

He said with immediate effect the elderly and poor will be able to access free medication. Customs duty and Value Added Tax were also removed from medication. Government will lose $19 million in revenue implementing this proposal.

In his opening remarks, Manning highlighted health and education as priorities if TT is to achieve developed country status by 2020. He admitted that TT was far from having a quality health system and the public deserved better.

Describing as a radical departure from the complacency of past responses to HIV/AIDS Manning said $500 million will be spent over the next five years “on all aspects” of the HIV/AIDS campaign. This was one of the promises made by the People’s National Movement during the election campaign.

To finance this programme, he said government is working towards concluding negotiations with the World Bank for a loan of US$25 million. Additional funding will be sought from international lending agencies.

A multi-sectoral task force was mandated to coordinate all aspects of the programme that will “significantly reduce the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases”.

In addition, access to comprehensive care and treatment will be significantly increased, cost of HIV/AIDS drugs reduced through subsides, anti-retrovial (ARV) treatment provided to Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and mother to child treatment programme expanded.

The Medical Research Foundation which is spearheading the programme for ARVs received a budgetary allocation of $3.2 million headed by Professor Courtenay Bartholomew.

Focusing on the sister isle, the Tobago House of Assembly will expand its HIV/AIDS awareness programme. Manning said a “world class” testing facility will be established in Tobago for persons seeking testing for HIV/AIDS. Tobogonians will be able to “walk-in” and get results in a short period of time.

A programme of free prostate and cataract treatment will be introduced as well as a subsidised cardiac programme for the poor.

Government will spend $55 million purchasing medical equipment for public health facilities, among them 20 new dialysis machines, mammography machines.

Security gets $1.9B bite out of $20B budget pie

By Ken Chee Hing

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Patrick Manning, focused heavily on the issues of Kidnapping and Corruption in Public Office, as he spoke about allocations for National Security, while delivering his $20B National Budget in Parliament yesterday.

Manning proposed that within the next 90 days, a Kidnapping Prevention Act, would be placed before Parliament. The legislation he said, would criminalise the demand for ransom by any person or entity, for the safe return of a kidnap victim; prohibit the granting of bail to persons charged with kidnapping offences, and authorise financial institutions to provide confidential financial information, to the police in kidnap investigations.

While Manning was speaking of his government’s concern with Corruption in Public Life (CIPL), Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday seemed to fall asleep as he kept his eyes closed. Needless to say, Manning’s denouncement of Corruption received lusty desk-thumping from government members.

“Mister Speaker, corruption in public life is another area of concern for the people and government of this country.”

“As such, we seek to ammend relevant legislation to substantially increase inter alia, the penalties for offences involving corruption by persons in public life,” Manning said.

He also hinted at amending the Commissions of Inquiry Act to provide stiffer penalties for persons summoned before these commissions and who refuse to do so.

Government he added, also aims to introduce a Terrorism Prevention Bill to deal with the threat of terrorism in TT.

National Security was allocated $1.9billion out of the $20billion Budgetary ‘pie’.

Monetary allocations for recurrent expenditure estimates for salaries and expenses in the National Security Ministry was put at $1,831,581,815.

The sum of $66.8M has been invested in the maintenance of Public Order and Safety. Manning said his government intended to take a “holistic” approach to the issue of crime-fighting. He identified the root causes of crime to be — break down in family life, unemployment, poverty, drug abuse, hopelessness, and failure of communities to perform traditional roles.

“For this reason, throughout this Budget we have included policy measures and initiatives that seek to deal with these underlying problems and tackle crime at the root cause.”

Manning boasted that Operation Anaconda (OA) brought relief to communities “literally under siege from the criminal element”. He said the government planned to continue OA, but on strategic and as-needed basis.

Government intends to expand the police presence in several crime-prone areas and to build five new police stations in Manzanilla, Mayaro, Cumuto, Brasso and Matura.

The Fire Service was allocated $12.1M for the start of construction of the Sangre Grande, San Fernando, Arouca and Mayaro fire stations and the purchase of vehicles and equipment.

Construction and refurbishment works will continue at the Teteron and Camp Cumuto barracks.

The Coast Guard will receive $1.3M to upgrade its communication system and $1.4M to acquire vehicles and equipment, and refurbishment of sea vessels.

$8.4M will go for the administration of justice, while $3.2M has been allocated for Magistrate’s Courts in Rio Claro, Arima, Chaguanas and Siparia, a Family Court, upgrade and refurbishment of the Hall of Justice and implementing a security system for the Judiciary.

Manning also promised government’s continued support of the Crime Stoppers Programme.

Less money this year for Public Sector Investment — $907.3M

By Allison Ali

The Government has allocated $907.3 million to Central Government Ministries and Agencies, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the Local Government authorities for the implementation of the 2003 Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) - $432.7 million less than the budgeted amount last year. In fiscal year 2002, the level of investment budgeted for the PSIP was $1,340 million.

The announcement yesterday was made by Prime Minister Patrick Manning during his 2002/2003 Budget presentation.

According to Manning, fiscal year 2003 marks the start of the journey towards a developed country status by 2020.

The slate of investments includes existing projects and programmes and, new initiatives in social and economic development required for Trinidad and Tobago’s (TT) advancement.

Main areas targetted for development are education and training, health, social and community services, housing, public order and safety, public administration, roads and bridges, transport and communication, water and sewerage and agriculture.

A total of $104.1 million, or 11.5 percent of the overall PSIP has been allocated to the THA — $6.2 million less than was allocated last year. Given Tobago’s specific development challenges, emphasis will be placed on social infrastructure, health and education, economic infrastructure (specifically roads and bridges), water and sewerage, transport and communication and drainage.

The total PSIP allocation to Tobago is $113.2 million.

The allocations to the Ministries and Agencies will contribute to addressing self-sustaining growth and meeting the challenges of a developing economy, and an evolving, knowledge based society.

The proportional increase in allocation of the 2003 PSIP to the social sector reflects the importance of social programmes in addressing key issues of poverty, social equity and crime, Manning indicated.

Allocations of PSIP by sectors for 2003 are as follows: productive sectors - $0.1 million; economic infrastructure - $308.5 million or 34 percent; social infrastructure - $409.9 million or 45.2 percent; public administration - $177.8 million or 19.6 percent, and pre-investment activity $10.8 million or 1.2 percent.

Last year PSIP allocations by sectors were as follows: productive sectors — $1.2 million or 0.1 percent; economic infrastructure $507.9 million or 37.9 percent; Social infrastructure —$576.2 million or 43 percent; public administration — $230.1 million or 17.2 percent and pre-investment activity — $24.1 million or 1.8 percent.

The heavy reliance on domestic sources for financing the PSIP continues in fiscal year 2003. Sixty-two percent of the financing is sourced domestically and the remaining 38 percent from external sources.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to be the main source of external loan financing for 2003 and accounts for approximately 22 percent, or $201.7 million. These resources will be utilised to finance on-going and new programmes.

The IDB is also an important source of grant funding for four institutional strengthening programmes — Modernisation of Telecommunications, Credit Union Strengthening, Establishment of the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC and Strengthening of Aviation Security.

Loan funding amounting to $96.1 million will be provided by the World Bank in support of the 2003 PSIP.

These resources will be used to finance activities geared towards improving the quality of, and access to primary education under the Fourth Basic Education Programme, and supporting the Postal Sector Reform.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will provide approximately $23.8 million in loan resources for the completion of the Southern Roads Development Project, equipping and operationalising laboratories at the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Technology (TTIT), and preparation of a Master Plan for the St Joseph Campus of COSTAATT.

The final drawdown of $7 million will be made from an interest-free loan of $20 million secured from China to support the small business sector.

The European Union (EU) continues to be the main source of grant funding for the PSIP. Grants from the EU will assist in funding the Rural Electrification and Poverty Alleviation Programmes, the Caribbean Business Services Limited, and small business development.

Social aid underpins Budget

By Sean Douglas

The Budget’s social policies targetted the deprived like unemployed youth and teen mothers, but critics said it ignored the destitute and disabled.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning introduced the Budget by vowing to help the elderly and disadvantaged, and to cut poverty and unemployment, but also promote self-reliance and self-help.

He declared: “Social development is at the forefront of the Government’s agenda. Despite economic growth, many of our citizens are left vulnerable and unprotected. In this relatively rich country, poverty has been stultifying the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. We must completely remove poverty. All citizens must be empowered to remove themselves from debilitating circumstances”.

Manning espoused a two-pronged approach — firstly direct and immediate relief to vulnerable groups, and secondly a transformational and developmental social policy.

He expanded the “Share” programme from an existing 8,000 to 15,000 hampers per month. The hamper-value would increase from $150 to $200, and the eligibility period would be raised from three to six months.

Micro-entrepreneurship, he said, would be promoted through some 21 new transformational centres nationwide, to supplement the three the PNM had previously established.

Avoiding a disincentive to employment, Manning allocated $94 million increase in public assistance levels, including from $222 to $320 for a single person, and from $720 to $940 for a family of four. Two million dollars was allocated for emergency aid to victims of natural disasters.

But he said he could not yet afford the $72 million to increase the disability grant. Claiming that 12 percent of the population was hearing-impaired, Manning pledged $3 million to continue a hearing-testing programme run by Dretchi. He also repeated his campaign promise to test the hearing and vision of every schoolchild.

He offered $4.2 million to expand the Adolescent Mothers Programme from a current three to 10 centres providing counselling, training and reproductive health education.

Training for youth and the socially-displaced, he said, would respectively be provided by the $11 million to broaden Ytepp and by $5 million to fund 500 participants in the Export Centres Programme which targeted single-parent heads of households.

A community skills training programme would aim to help 10,000 people next year, including imparting skills, morals and values for the workplace.

For youth, Manning allocated $25 million to the Civilan Conservation Corps, $18 million for the On-the-Job Training Scheme (OJT), $3 million for the Geriatric-Adolescent Programme (GAP), and $33.5 million for the Youth into Agriculture Project (YAPA). The OJT would involve 10,000 youth, GAP 560 youth, and YAPA 1,000 youth.

Manning introduced a Depressed Community Programme to improve the infrastructure, human development and social needs of the poorest communities. Paying tribute to the communal self-improvement water and electricity projects of Rock City, Laventille, Manning said the National Social Development Programme would similarly help communities under the management of the Ministry of Public Utilities and National Commission for Self Help.

In immediate reaction former UNC Minister of Social Development, Manohar Ramsaran, said the budget was plagiarised from the UNC’s 2001 budget. While happy for those getting an increase in public assistance, he added: “They are all the programmes we had intended to do, but now have less funding. I am warning the Government not to get into the dependency syndrome, but to do things which are sustainable.” He said the increase in “Share” did not address the acronym’s component of rehabilitation, saying: “I’m disappointed in the plunge into the welfare State”.

Asked if the budget met the promises of the PNM manifesto, Ramsaran lamented the inaction on the disability grant. He said: “That’s a serious error, I feel sorry for the disabled, the most needy.” He added: “Nothing was said about vagrancy. I had put a lot of emphasis on fighting vagrancy. In his speech Mr Manning did not get out of campaign mood, but gave things that just sounded good”.

An umpteenth promise for a Cultural Centre for the Arts

Prime Minister Patrick Manning in his budget presentation yesterday said a Cultural Centre for the Arts would be constructed on the Princess Building Grounds.

The Government he said will also introduce the steeple and the harmonium in both primary and secondary schools, as the instrument of choice.

Manning gave the assurance that the La Reine Rive and Folk Fair programmes would be expanded in the new fiscal year, in addition to the Community Concerts Programme.

Manning said more attention will be paid to the national instrument, stating that as a first step, a rehabilitation programme for panyards throughout TT would be undertaken, following the introduction of the steelpan through the Pan in the Classroom programme.

Very soon afterwards, the harmonium will be introduced in much the same way, claimed Manning.

Yet in another proposal he suggested that companies involved in sponsoring local, cultural, educational or entertainment productions which were broadcast to local, regional and international audiences be allowed a tax deduction of 150 percent of the actual expenditure incurred in making such productions.

The maximum allowance will be $450,000.

The proposal which was met with tremendous desk-thumping by his fellow Cabinet Ministers, is due to take effect January 1, 2003.