Exports increase, poverty drops in first govt appraisal report

An increase in exports and a reduction in poverty were among the achievements highlighted when the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development rolled out the first ever Government performance appraisal report in T&T on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). 

In delivering the performance report, Planning Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie noted that the Medium Term Policy Framework (MTPF) delineates government’s five priority areas that will support improvement in the quality of lives of citizens. These areas include:

• Crime and Law and Order
• Agriculture and Food Security
• Health Care Services and Hospitals
• Economic Growth, Job Creation, Competitiveness and Innovation
• Poverty Reduction and Human Capital Development

Dr Tewarie said the performance framework is an important step in institutionalising a results based monitoring and evaluation system in the public sector as it provides a focus on what to measure. 

He said the Government’s top priorities are in alignment with the needs of society, adding that the “Partnership Administration is working assiduously to ensure that development is achieved on a national level.”

The Annual Report on performance articulates seven key result areas, which are translated into 23 specific national outcomes. Progress towards the outcomes will be measured using 45 performance indicators.  

Iindicators in the priority area of crime and law and order are crime rate, recidivism rate and homicide detection rate. The target for crime is to be reduced by 25 per cent in 2014 and the recidivism rate by ten per cent per annum with a 25 per cent increase in the detection rate by 2014.

Dr Tewarie noted a small decrease in the crime detection rate from 16.8 per cent in 2010 to 14.8 per cent in 2012. There was also a decrease in homicide detection rate by a significant 9.4 per cent to 15.4 per cent in 2012 from 24.8 per cent in 2010.  

There was an increase in exports from US$9,314.9 million in 2010 to US$10,919.3 million in 2012. A marked increase was also recognised in non-energy resources from US$1 924.0 in 2010 to US $2,095.9 in 2012. 

A reduction in poverty was recorded from 18.9 per cent in 2009 to 14.8 per cent in 2012. Dr Tewarie attributed this to sound economic management and prudent financial accounting.

Director of the National Transformation Unit of the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development, Dinesh Ragoo spearheaded and championed the implementation of the Results-Based Management.