Budget - Draft 10
INTRODUCTION
Madame President, We the people of Trinidad and Tobago find ourselves once again in a very delicate and challenging economic position, due, to the vast petroleum resources with which we are endowed.
The manner in which we use this vast income will determine the future destiny of OUR NATION!
We are, again, in fact Madame President at the historical crossroad of probable socio-economic success or failure.
One leads us towards attaining the goal of economic and social development for all.
The other leads to a life of fear, insecurity, dependency unemployment, under employment and poverty.
Madame President, let us now examine in which direction this government is taking us.
You will recall we were previously in a comparable situation.
Madame President, at that time, the then Prime Minister/ Minister of /Finance made the famous or infamous statement “ money was not a problem”.
Most of us recall the consequences of our earlier “oil boom”. Let us hope that in spite of the many limitations of the present budget
that history will not repeat itself.
However, it is difficult to resist coming to the conclusion that this budget 2005 will lead us in the same direction, again!
Madame President, we the people of Trinidad and Tobago have a lot to be grateful for.
Our climate is amongst the best in the world.
Our geographic location is such that we are out of the way of most seasonal natural disasters.
Our population is composed of beautiful people, resulting from our rich culture base and many years of social integration.
Madame President, the product of this fusion is our national “Rainbow Face’’. (Smile and with an open hand indicate the rainbow faces around the room)
Madame President, this has evolved over time as a result of the effort and sweat of our ancestors.
Our unity in diversity cannot to be taken for granted; it must be nurtured and maintained.
Madame President, we must continue to practice and promote harmony and integration.
There must be no doubt our national persona can be undone.
This is very likely to occur if as a nation, we give way to poor governance, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination.
Madame President, Social deterioration is highly probable, under this current government that insists on using the apparatus and assets of the state to satisfy its own petty politically partisan objectives.
The actions of this government could only compromise our nation’s democratic principles. Madame President.
The PNM persists in claiming to create national programmes, particularly what it describes as social programmes.
However this government delivers the programmes outputs to only one section of our nation’s population. It concentrates its efforts in traditional PNM constituencies and those described as marginal.
Madame President, (very firm) I remind this government that its responsibility is to the nation as a whole not to its political party and its supporters.
Madame President, the reckless and irresponsible actions of this PNM government, have already began to forge deep social and ethnic cleavages within our society.
The adverse consequences of such deliberate divisive policies on our people will be many.
Madame President, (firm but sad) our social fabric will be weakened
Madame President, our society will be characterized by discrimination, marginalization and social exploitation.
(Firm & serious) Madame President, we will no longer be a people that pursue the goal of national unity.
Instead, we will be a nation divided and diminished.
This pursuit of national unity, Madame President, the effort of many years will be replaced by disunity, hostility and hopelessness.
Madame President, it seems that this government has to be reminded again, that all state programmes must be conceptualized democratically, demographically and made accessible to all.
Madame President, this government’s failure to do so will constitute a clear and present abdication of its basic responsibility to all our nation’s citizens.
We have to continue providing the social environment that enables the presence of all the major religious groups in our national community.
Madame President, freedom of religious practice is not only a basic right, it is a characteristic of civilized society.
As a people we must continue to practice our exemplary forms of religious diversity and acceptance.
Madame President, our land is as diverse as its people.
There are mountains to the north, in the center and to the south.
We have a dramatic and beautiful coastline; intensely blue sea, beaches, valleys, flat lands, rivers and wetlands.
Madame President, our sunrises (UNC pause rising sun) and sunsets are unparallel.
Our topography allows the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. In the past we have done this with considerable success, Madame President.
There is every reason why we can successfully continue to cultivate our traditional crops.
Madame President, with the changing trends in eating habits, new varieties of crops could be introduced.
Both can be done in a financially viable manner, where production is based on relevant market analysis, so as to establish the aggregate effective demand for crops prior to production.
Madame President, our good fortune continues, we are also rich in proven deposits of hydrocarbons: oil, natural gas, and asphalt.
It is clear that the people of Trinidad and Tobago have most of the elements required, for all to enjoy a high standard of living and an optimum quality of life.
(Firm and serious), in spite of all our assets, our nation is in a state of crisis. Madame President.
Crime and criminal activity are causing us to live in fear, Madame President.
(Firm and serious) Criminal activity is not “gang related as the Prime Minister alleges. Madame President, crime seems to know no boundaries.
Only recently Sir Ellis Clarke and ANR Robinson were victim of criminal actions. The former President of the Senate Wahid Ali was mugged and robbed.
Madame President, Little Vijay from Rio Claro has now been kidnapped for more than 125 days.
Even our visiting tourists have been victims of crime. Kidnapping, rape and robbery amongst others.
Madame President, the list goes on, and on, and on …
The issue of drug related crime is complex, brutal and devastating.
Madame President, how can we forget the fact that cocaine was found in our country’s diplomatic pouch?
Madame President, this must be dealt with in an explicit and efficient manner.
To date this corrupt government has done very little to solve the problem in our ministry of Foreign Affairs, to date little progress has been made in discovering, who is responsible for the drugs in Trinidad and Tobago’s diplomatic pouch.
Madame President, there are numerous cases of kidnapping, rape, incest, theft and extortion that go unreported. There are many reasons for this, fear and lack of confidence in the system’s capacity to protect and serve.
It is true that the responsibility of the government is diverse. However the highest priority of any government is the security of its population, Madame President.
Madame President, in this regard, and based on available evidence it is clear that this government has failed and continues to fail miserably in its primary responsibility.
Madame President:
This PNM Government has failed to put a stop to the constantly increasing levels of crime.
It has failed to put a stop to increasing criminal activity.
Madame President, in spite of the government’s claims that it is making great efforts in its war against crime.
(Dramatic) it is losing the war!
There are indications that the criminal element have direct access to key Ministers of government.
Madame President, (very stern) that being the case,
Makes the government a part of the problem not a part of the solution.
Madame President, The government has the responsibility to manage the nation’s business effectively.
In doing this we expect the government to present the nation with a clear statement of its policy agenda.
This is the only way the government will be able to demonstrate its claims of transparency and accountability.
Madame President, this has to be accompanied by a well defined mix of programmes that are geared to deliver the goods and services to the nation in a manner that is consistent with its policy agenda.
Madame President, hopefully, some day the programmes will be clearly defined. That way we will know:
What are their objectives?
What will be the benefits?
And above all, who will be the beneficiaries?
In which event, Madame President, there will be a basis for the government to monitor the government’s performance.
Madame President, this would be an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its new found ethos of transparency and accountability.
The absence of this basic policy and programme audit trail makes it almost impossible for the government to monitor its own performance.
Further Madame President, we on this side of the House will have an even more daunting task to evaluate effectively the performance of this government during the fiscal year.
Madame President, the Minister claims that, and I quote:
“My government is committed to good governance. For us this means putting systems in place to ensure transparency, accountability, the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness, equity and adherence to the rule of law”
Madame President, the following question must be asked.
Where is the evidence that this systems approach has been implemented, is implemented or will ever be implemented?
There is no evidence.
Madame President is this another instance of the Minister being elegant with the rhetoric but bankrupt when it comes to delivery?
For this budget to make fiscal sense, it should relate the planned expenditure for the current fiscal period to the government’s policy agenda.
Madame President, this is where the proposal budget is radically flawed.
It is most certainly not predicated on a clearly defined policy framework.
What is also very clear, Madame President is that most of the needs of the majority of the population are not being addressed and this is in spite of a 28 billion dollar budget.
MINISTRY OF WORKS/INFRASTRUCTURE
The UNC was committed to building the John Humphrey free flow interchange at the Uriah Butler/Churchill Roosevelt Highway intersection and is still committed.
This year 2004 we would have been presenting the fourth budget of our second term in Office and Madam President Trinidad & Tobago would have already benefited from the completion of the construction of the interchange.
Instead what we have is an administration that cannot convert words to deeds, after two years of indecision, two years of deciding whether to build or not to build, now they saying they will build.
Can we accept this, Madam President? The real issue is that the UNC left 150 million dollars for the construction of that interchange.
You know what they did with the money, Madam President?
They took the 150 million dollars and used it to paint Government Buildings, they didn’t clean those buildings, they didn’t pressure wash them, they didn’t treat them, they just painted over the moss and all the jack-spaniard nests.
That is what they did, Madam President!
Today in Trinidad & Tobago we have a serious situation with Traffic jams, from The Hindu Credit Union Convention Center in Freeport straight into the Light House in POS.
Madam President, 2004 would have been the fourth year of our second term and this problem would not have existed.
During the UNC’s tenure in office, while we were building the Uriah Butler/Churchill Roosevelt intersection, we would have already completed the overpasses at Aranguez, El Socorro and the necessary improvement works at Sackville Street.
Madam President, we would have widened the road and the bridge over the St Ann’s River in Sea Lots, so that we would have had another lane into Port of Spain. From NP’s head office straight into Colvin Street on Wrightston Road
You would recall Madam President, that during the UNC’s term in office we completed improvements and works from West Moorings straight down to the Northwest Peninsula.
It was Madam President part or our efforts in improving the infrastructure to ensure growth in the tourism sector
Madame President you would recall the improvements done in Chaguaramas, where in the UNC term there was continuous growth in the yachting sector for 5 consecutive years, we now have a slow down in expansion. I will deal with this matter further on
You will recall Madam President, the improvement work done in the Diego Martin area. You will also recall the improvement work done in Maraval.
Madame President it was extremely difficult to get into and out of Port of Spain from Maraval, in fact government previous to the UNC didn’t even attempt to tackle the problem.
As a short-term solution we redesigned the traffic flow from the Kapok Roundabout and now have easier entry and exit out of Maraval, improving the mobility in the area.
While in office, Madam President, we were considering two options, the building of a road over the Maraval River and building a tunnel between Maraval and Port of Spain, possibly going below the Queens Park Savanna.
Madame President. You will also recall that the Savanna was considered the largest roundabout in the world.
For many decades a serious traffic problem existed at the St. Ann’s roundabout, The UNC government make sure that the traffic improved with the simple construction of a well designed multi-functional roundabout, that still today alleviates traffic.
Madam President, no one in Trinidad and Tobago can forget how dangerous it was to drive from Maraval to Maracas Bay.
As a result of the improvements made under the UNC government Madam President, that road is no longer considered dangerous.
It is now considered to be safe and aesthetically pleasing with vistas of what is probably Trinidad’s most dramatic coastline.
Madam President, if the UNC were still in office, we would have continued the works from Maracas all the way to Blanchisseuse.
So that area of our coastline and its people could benefit from the exploitation of its vast tourism potential.
Madam President, we are committed to improving the mobility of the country and hence the quality of life of our citizens.
It is our vision, Madam President, to convert Trinidad and Tobago’s entire rural community and communications infrastructure to an acceptable and efficient standard.
To facilitate the transport of agricultural products and approximate our rural people with greater ease to their urban work centres.
Plans, Madam President, were also in place for the continuation of the highway from Omer Road straight on to Wallerfield, the site designated for the Science Park.
Madam President, you will recall that from Valsayn, the road to Manzanilla, was in total disrepair and abandonment, under the PNM administration.
The UNC, Madam President, started working on the improvement of the whole bridge system of Trinidad and Tobago.
In all 56 bridges, Madam President, were built, rebuilt, restored, renovated and repaired all over the country.
· The Valencia Bridge
· The Caravel Bridge
· The Manzanilla Bridge
· The Oxford Bridge
· The Nariva Bridge straight around the Mafekin and on to Poole River bridge
· The Kiwal bridge
· Madame President, no one can forget the opening of the bridge over the Cipero river at ursine St. Madeline where we had one way traffic since the days of Columbus.
· MENTION ALL 65 BRIDGES
Since the PNM’s return to office Madam President, they didn’t seem to grasp the fact that the UNC had already built these 65 bridges.
Madam President, the PNM’s track record indicates that it would normally take them ten years to build a bridge. This means that they would still be seven years away from delivering the first one. May be this time around they will be able to deliver half a bridge.
The Minister has said that his administration would build 65 more bridges Madam President, not realizing that those bridges were already completed.
If you drive around on the main roads of Trinidad and Tobago, Madam President you cannot find sixty-five more bridges to build.
Madame President in addition to that all the bridges from Point Fortin to Cedros, Icacos to Bonas Village were improved in preparation for the paving of that route, that road would have been completed by now.
Instead what we now have, Madame President is an administration that found the basic infrastructure in place and just cannot put the roads together
In fact citizens of Cedros, Coromandal, Grandville and Chatham are now complaining of how difficult it is to travel those roads on a daily basis.
Madam President the point I am making is that under the UNC we recognized the pressing need for infrastructure upgrade.
We were aware that under the more than 40 years of PNM government, the nation’s infrastructure had been grossly neglected.
We saw the improvement of infrastructure as an important step in our in our fight against poverty, as one of the fundamental pillars for the improvement of the quality of life for all our citizens.
Preventative and on-going maintenance was not in keeping with the PNM agenda, Madam President.
They have now again allowed the infrastructure to fall into a state of decay.
Should you, Madam President, ask the people of Trinidad and Tobago if the road system was better after the UNC than was before, the rotund answer to the question will be yes.
Madame President, the UNC government also recognized the importance of the Gulf of Paria as a valuable natural asset.
· An area rich in hydrocarbon resources
· An important fishing ground
· An area with a high recreational potential
Madame President, large quantities of silt from the Orinoco River flow, deposits in the Gulf of Paria.
We did a preliminary study and Madame President, you would be surprised to know that if the current pattern continues, the Gulf of Paria will become completely silted up by the year 2225.
In other words, Madame President, you would be able to walk over to Venezuela.
So as to halt the existing erosion on the southwestern peninsula and the entire gulf coast Madam President, we initiate pre-investment feasibility, in terms of looking at the Gulf of Paria.
We also initiated the first phase of the San Fernando Waterfront development project because, Madam President, we saw this as an important step in renewing San Fernando as the energy, industrial energy and services capital.
We envisioned this project as an important link between our country and Venezuela. We considered the Gulf of Paria as an internal lake between the two countries.
We also saw it as a link for the western coastline of Trinidad, Madam President, with water taxis operating from Point Fortin to San Fernando, San Fernando to Port of Spain with a stop in central.
In the first phase of the waterfront development concept we saw as an opportunity to establish a ferry service between San Fernando and the Venezuelan state of Monagas.
A journey across the Gulf of Paria, up the Cańo San Juan River to the town of Caripito. Madam President, an excellent point of entry to one of Venezuela’s states rich in natural resources, agriculture and industry.
The proximity of major Venezuelan highways also made Caripito an ideal port of entry for products and passengers from Trinidad and Tobago.
Madam President, we initiated the waterfront project and this visionless PNM government stopped it, even though funds had been allocated to the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.
The project would have resulted in the development of a new city centre and a major commercial entity, Madam President.
Located between San Fernando Street in the North and Keate Street in the South, the Waterfront development in the West to Coffee Street in the East.
Madam President, for many years the people of South Trinidad felt the low levels of infrastructural investment in what was the industrial energy capital of Trinidad and Tobago.
Only until the UNC came to office in 1998, Madam President, was a 1978 PNM project implemented.
Twenty years had gone by and nothing had been done.
The UNC saw the requirement and built the Cross Crossing interchange Madam President, then followed up on the continuation of the Solomon Hochoy Highway.
This was the first step in a highway to Point Fortin so while we were looking at the pre-feasibility and the feasibility study for the Highway and designs for the Highway from–Golconda from to Point Fortin. We started construction and expansion of the road network and we have a link between Tarouba and Golconda.
By now Madam President, we would have completed Phase II which was one of the five other roads to satisfy the requirements of the area:
The continuation of the Solomon Hochoy Highway from Golconda to Clarke Road in Penal would have been completed by now.
· Work would have been continuing on the outer section of Clarke Road in Penal via Charlo Village, Murry Trace, St. John Trace, Ackbar Trace, Avocate and unto Berrij Trace St. Mary’s Village Oropuche, and then the road continuing in a southerly direction from St. Mary’s Village through Rousillac Grand Trace and F Block in the Forest Reserve and Springland, Guapo, Pariland straight into Point Fortin
We would have had our Highway with a spur road connecting from La Brea to the Highway and a parallel road from Penal Erin.
This is the third year that they are repeating the same thing but no plans for implementation, it is clear to all that no matter the promises they will not begin the construction of the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin during this year,
Madam President, they said so but they cannot convert words into deeds. They cannot deliver.
It is a simple case, Madam President, that they budgeted this road before and I want to know where de money gone,
Year after year they budget for the expansion of the road network from San Fernando to Point Fortin but again where de money gone.
Theses are some of the other projects the UNC government would have had in place. We would have awarded contracts in the second year of the national highways programme
· Westmoorings to Chaguaramas
· Maraval to Maracas
· Valencia to Manzanilla
· Cross Crossing to Friendship Village
· From Williamsville to the Guaracara-Tabaquite Road
· We would have completed by now roadways from Fen Mohammed to Pari Village. How ever wile design and planning was in progress, we upgraded 2K of roads and reinstated several bridges,
· Madam President we would have also completed the Naparima -Mayaro Road from St. Clemmens Junction via Palmyra, Mount Stuart, Ire Village and Magretout straight into Princess Town
You will recall Madam President, that we initiated the ring road around San Fernando from La Romain to Debe and on to Ursine Ste Madeline.
We are pleased, Madam President, that this Administration continued it from Ste Madeline to Princes Town and straight on to St. Jullian utilizing Caroni Taska Roads.
New arterial roads for the benefit of our citizens. Madam President, in addition to that we would have completed by now the road from Point Fortin to Cedros
While the PNM is still struggling to get it done Madam President,
Madame President, the UNC recognized the importance of vending and street vendors, the contribution that they make to the nation’s economy.
Street vendors are not dependant on NEDCO or any of the government’s social programmes. Madam President, they are ordinary people who make an extraordinary effort to be independent.
These are honest hard working people Madam President, with the assistance of their children, from early hours in the morning to enable them to eek out a living on the street of Trinidad and Tobago.
What the Government must do is implement the street trading act that was promulgated by the UNC.
This would enable the government to designate on pre-determined days, times and specific locations in high traffic areas in Towns and Cities throughout Trinidad and Tobago, so that Vendors and vending will be done in a safe and sanitary manner.
Where citizens of Trinidad and Tobago will benefit from greater convenience.
Each market could develop its own Culture, its own strong point, some will become known for its culinary arts
Madam President you know every cook in Trinidad and Tobago have a sweet hand so that one will become famous for food,
· One will become famous for handicraft,
· One will become famous for clothes
· One might become famous for building materials
· Pots and pans
My point is Madam President, that they will be able to come out and market their produce with a degree of security and social comfort, instead of being harassed.
They will be able to care of themselves, their families and be an asset to their communities.
Madame President for this country to move forward and become strong we cannot have one week citizen.
· Government should engage its policy apparatus, to empower all our citizens, to maximize their legitimate potentials
· By becoming more flexible, more adaptable and more sensitive to their needs
· And assisting them in taking care of themselves
So as a society we can constantly pursue and enhance the quality of life
During our tenure Madam President, we even considered closing the bus route at month-end. From Friday or Saturday evening to 6pm on Sundays, 24 hours of vending on the entire bus route.
Where Madam President, we would encourage vendors to participate from all over the country, instead of discouraging them by breaking down their stalls and running them.
Madam President, we would now have provided a place for them.
The key Madam President is that we must find a way to enable vendors to co function with other entrepreneurs in a manner that both could make a living.
Madam President, many of the storeowners in San Fernando and other parts of Trinidad and Tobago started off as street vendors.
Many of the top fashion houses started out with paticking around the country.
And we want to establish as a matter of national policy, Madam President, we want to encourage not discourage them, help them to become the best that they can be.
Madam President I would now like to deal with the foolishness that I hear the minister of works talking about.
Now, he talking about railways! Like he forget it was the PNM.
Their stupidity has been immortalized in our folk culture,
Remember the 1967 calypso “Last train to San Fernando”?
Madam President they coming now like if they have a bright idea to tell us a light rail is the answer we had a heavy gauge railway
We had a railway that could take a real train a real train to San Fernando
They mash up the train and now they telling us about a light rail you ever hear such foolishness
Madam President they behaving like a man who cut of your leg then give you a pair of crotches and expect you to say thanks
That is the kind of people we are dealing with thieves and vagabonds.
PIARCO AIRPORT
MINISTRY OF TRANSPOPRT
When I took the reins of the Ministry of Transport, Madame President, I found that post independence, nothing effective had been done to bring the aviation sector into international compliance.
The local aviation legislation, Madame President, a pre-colonial Application of Order Act of 1952, was the only aviation law in effect, until the Civil Aviation Authority Act 2000 was proclaimed.
Madame President, after hasty attempt to revamp the pre-colonial civil aviation regulations, The Civil Aviation Order 1995 proved totally inadequate and failed international scrutiny both from the USFAA and ICAO.
Madame President, only under my tenure, did the Ministry make the effort to overhaul the civil aviation law and regulations seriously.
Madame President, this resulted in the Civil Aviation Act 2001 (Act No. 11 of 2001) and the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Regulations 2004.
In the past, the administration of Civil Aviation Madame President had been left to the Air Traffic Controller personnel through the Public Service.
Madame President, technical personnel were imported from the UK at great cost to the country (and the operators!!!).
Madame President, a situation unacceptable to an international civil aviation community in a dynamic and responsive industry.
Only until the (UNC) term Madame President, was a proper transformation to an independent Civil Aviation Authority, fully staffed by trained and experienced local technical personnel implemented.
Madame President, the collection of user fees in the 750 thousand square mile, Piarco Flight Information Region were historically set and collected by a private company owned by the users, the airlines: IACL.
This firm collected and spent public funds with absolutely no control from or accountability to the government, Madame President,
Only under the UNC was the process put in train to address this improper anomaly.
Prior to leaving office, the UNC government was about to produce a comprehensive Aviation Policy, which would give guidance to and pull together all the diverse aviation stakeholders, Madame President,
This would have ensured that various endeavours such as the Airbridge, Airports Improvement (Crown Point and Piarco),
· USFAA IASA Category I,
· Commercial Regulation,
· Safety Regulation,
· Passenger Facilitation,
· Aviation Security,
· Regional Air Carrier,
· And support for local Air Carriers etc. etc. would advance in a properly co-ordinated way.
Madame President, a national aviation policy, dovetailing with regional transport policies, is crucial for the orderly growth and development of the local aviation sector.
Most of the above has ground to a grinding halt since the new Government took over, Madame President.
With no strong policy framework emanating out of the executive, aviation has become, once again, an un-coordinated “hotch-podge” of vacillation and indecision, careening from one crisis to another:
· Runway Paving Project disasters;
· Ramp Safety disasters;
· USFAA IASA Cat. I continuous postponement of the compliance deadline;
· ATC Radar disasters;
· ATC communication equipment disasters;
· Regional Carrier stuck;
· Airbridge in a mess;
· Fully qualified local pilots out of work while foreign crews operate on the Airbridge and at Bristow Helicopters.
HEALTH
Now, Madame President, let us take a brief look at our health sector.
The nation’s health system is vitally important to all of us.
As a result large amount of funds are allocated to health for the provision of adequate health services.
While the funds continue to be allocated and utilized, the proposed health sector benefits are not accruing to the nation, Madame President,
What we have is a health sector is characterized by:
Poor hospital facilities
San Fernando General hospital appears to be hardly functioning.
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The same can be said about the Port of Spain General Hospital.
Madame President, there is constant friction between the Minister of Health and the medical fraternity, this is not a recipe for motivating the doctors to perform with the excellence required by our citizens.
Madame President, the RHA’s are operating as if they were independent ministries of health. This is inconsistent with the principles under which they are expected to function.
These guidelines are outlined in the Health Sector Reform Programme, which is jointly financed, by the Government and the International America Development Bank (IADB)
Madame President, I would like to draw attention to the fact that in July of 1996, the Government signed this loan agreement.
This loan agreement was for the sum of US$134 million, with the government contributing US$ 58 Million, the total programme costing US$ 192 million, Madame President.
The programme was for 7 years. It was supposed to be fully implemented by 2003.
Madame President, the objective of the programme as developed by the government in conjunction with the IADB is as follows:
To enable the government of the Trinidad and Tobago to improve the health status of its population by promoting wellness and providing affordable health care in an efficient and an equitable manner.
Madame President, to realize this goal for the Health Sector the government must agree to the pursuit of the following key objectives:
· Strengthening the policy making, planning and management capacity of the health sector;
· Separating the provision of services from financing and regulatory responsibilities
· Shifting public expenditures and influencing redirection of private expenditures to high priority problems and cost effective solutions
· Establishing new administrative and employment structure which encourage accountability, increased autonomy and appropriate incentives to improve productivity and efficiency
Madame President, This programme also anticipates providing additional benefits to those in our society who are less fortunate.
Madame President, this will have a significant impact on low income groups” and as we all know there are many amongst us who have low incomes.
Madame President, some have no incomes at all!
Madame President, despite of our current national affluence
Those with low or zero income often receive insufficient or unsatisfactory services. They have no alternative to publicly provided care.
Given the current state of the health sector it is clear that the objectives of the Reform Programme have not been attained.
But, Madame President, most of the money allocated, has been spent! This is not surprising for already we know of the massive cost overrun associated with the Scarborough General Hospital.
Provisions were made in the Health Sector Reform Programme for the construction and in several cases the upgrade of some existing health facilities.
The planned reform of the Health Sector was efficiently and effectively managed during the UNC’s term of office.
I must add, Madame President, that the ambulance service is another area of social security that is in serious problems and requires urgent attention.
Madame President, the current response times for ambulance calls is between 25-30mins per call.
The actual objective should be less than 10 minuets, Madame President.
Even though 40 new ambulances have been handed over, Madame President, only 10-15 operate daily and 8 new ambulances are already out of service due to mechanical problems, the rest do not have enough stocks to put them into operation
Current members of staff are resigning at a rate of 3-5 EMT's per month, this also contributing to a lack of ambulances in operation, Madame President.
Most of the EMT's licenses to practice have expired as well as those of the Emergency Medical Dispatchers
Madame President, currently no base exists in the San Fernando. The units and staff are housed in the Couva base contributing to long response times. A unit takes approx. 20mins to reach San Fernando on a Code 1 run.
Madame President, other areas without bases Toco, Mayaro, Pt Fortin, St James and Arima.
I will support this statement by drawing attention to the following
NOTE: You now select and refer to the information in the Health Appendix.
FISCAL CAPACITY
Madame President, largely on account of the windfall received from the energy sector we have the enhanced fiscal capacity which enables us to be considering a budget of $28 billion.
The onus now rests with the government to develop policies and relevant programmes designed to produce a mix of social and economic benefits for all of the nation’s population.
Madame President, it would only be just that the government come up with investment and development plans to in some way return to the land and people part of the fiscal product generated from the exploitation of our non renewable hydrocarbon resources
Madame President, has the minister of Finance presented a budget that has the capability of capitalizing on our natural resources?
A plan that can develop and implement fiscal policies that are intended to maximize the benefits for our entire nation? Some social justice, Madame President
EDUCATION
Madame President, the quality of our education is not in keeping with needs of either the population or the demands of the economy.
The current budget presents very little to address the main educational issues facing the nation. What it does, however, is allocate the sum of $3.14 Billion to the Ministry of Education.
The problems facing the education sector are numerous.
They include
· A high dropout rate
· Many students completing the five years and not passing even one subject at the O Level
· Guns and drugs in the schools
Madame President, in the minimum case scenario the Government needs to place emphasis at the Primary School level
· By maintaining the UNC’s policy of universal education for all.
· By building more schools
· By focusing on pedagogic reform
· By making provisions to motivate the teacher population to continue pursuing academic excellence.
Madame President, the Minister has announced the revamping of the entire education system to deliver total quality education, universal access to Pre School by 2010 and plans to build 43 early childhood care centres.
These announcements constitute a clear acknowledgement that the Minister has failed to deliver the projects contained in the agreement between the World Bank and the Government.
Madame President, I refer to the Fourth Basic Education Programme which is jointly agreed to by the World Bank and the Government, agreement that was signed in March of 1996.
The cost of the programme is $US121 million of which the loan portion is $US 51 million or 42% of the total. The remainder $US70 million represents counterpart funding on the part of the government.
Madame President, This programme should have been fully implemented by 2002.
Madame President, While in government the UNC made financial provisions in Budget 2002 for the demands of this necessary programme.
This PNM government has spent the money, however the planned results have not yet been delivered
Madame President, what happened to the money!?
Madame President, in the year 2000 the UNC was building early child hood centres at a cost of 250 thousand dollars per unit,
It now appears that this government is planning to construct similar centers, but at the cost of over $1Million each.
The Minister assures the population that inflation is less than 4%, Madame President. If that is the case, how do you account for the almost 300 % increase?
During the UNC’s term of office, education was a very high priority item, Madame President.
The UNC was aware of the extent of income disparities in our society and was committed to its eradication.
We realized that universal access to education was the key to eliminating income disparities and eradicating poverty.
To illustrate the UNC’s commitment to universal education Madame President, I will highlight some of our accomplishments:
NOTE: You will now use the Education Appendix for the Fourth Basic Education Programme.
Madame President, The UNC decided to simultaneously address some of the major problems facing the Secondary school system.
We got rid of the dreaded and academically counter productive Common Entrance Examination.
In addition to our efforts at the primary level we decided to make secondary school universally available.
Madame President, our policy was that there would be a place for every student eligible to attend Secondary School.
We successfully negotiated a loan with the IABD. In 1999 we signed the Secondary Education Modernization Programme.
Madame President, The objective which we articulated for this initiative was “to support the Ministry of Education to initiate a deep institutional and pedagogic reform of the secondary sector”. Thereby enabling the Government to:
§ Universalize five years of equitable, high-quality secondary education
§ Ensure that all students master essential skills and knowledge in core subjects
§ Transform educational content to meet the needs of a modern skills based economy
Madame President, in pursuit of these objectives priority was given to the construction of ten secondary schools.
The schools were:
NOTE: You have the appendix with all the data on the secondary school construction. Go for it
Tangible UNC results, Madame President.
AGRICULTURE
Madame President, I turn to the critical area of agriculture which contributes about 3% of our GDP.
It is labour intensive and for every element of the food basket produced locally, it means less foreign exchange expenditure. Madame President
Caroni 1975 or I should say the late Caroni 1975 once provided employment for approximately 9,000 workers.
Madame President. This uncaring, short sighted, bigoted government saw it fit to shut down the company, leaving 9,000 workers unemployed.
Madame President, in addition they left the physical assets of the company unattended thereby encouraging the massive looting of the company’s property.
The current CEO of Caroni 1975 said that the ”theft of a few million dollars of property is less than significant”.
Madame President, is this official still employed at the Divestment Secretariat?
The ability to feed ourselves as a nation should be a priority in this government’s policy agenda.
Madame President, that is if it had a coherent policy agenda. Which it clearly has not?
Madame President, as a nation we have the land base.
Let it be clearly understood by this government that agriculture will never evolve as a viable industry unless the lands of Caroni 1975 are rationally integrated into agricultural production.
Madame President, the PNM government should be fore warned, that plans which they may have to distribute Caroni Lands to their financiers and other party loyalists will be met with the full wrought of this nation’s population.
Not an acre of prime agricultural land owned byCaroni must be taken out of agricultural production!
Madame President, we definitely have the required capital, either public or private.
We have the entrepreneurial skills.
Madame President, we need to develop the component.
In order to do this, however the farmer will have to compete for workers in the labor market with CEPEP and the other entire counter productive CEPEP like projects, that this irrespons