Tobago Minority Leader Ashworth Jack wants to know what additional proof does Tobago House of Assembly (THA) chairman Orville London need that the Government is serious about tourism in the sister isle. "The only thing he didn't get was the ten per cent tax revocation," Jack said yesterday. He was responding to comments by London after Monday's Budget that he (London) was yet to know if the Government was really serious about revitalising the tourism sector in Tobago. London also made mention of the amount of money that was allocated to Tobago noting that the Government just managed not to break the law by not going under 4.03 per cent.
Jack said if London took a good look at the budget he would see that there was a $100 million guarantee for people in Tobago who wanted to upgrade their properties for tourism and for those who want to get into the industry. Noting that he was aware there were concerns about the ten per cent hotel room tax, he added: "I am sure we will continue to work with Government to arrive at an amicable solution." He further added that money was allocated in the budget for the completion of the Government-owned Vanguard hotel in Tobago, renamed the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort. Jack said he never heard London complain about the quantum of money allocated to Tobago by previous administrations.
"He would always say there were other things Tobago would benefit from." Jack, seeming to take a similar stance, said: "Apart from the money, Tobago is going to benefit in other ways." He said outside of the $2.2 billion Budget allocation Tobago would benefit from several social programmes from which Trinidad would also benefit. "When they buy PTSC buses they buy for us too. "The food grants we will get will not come out of the Tobago allocation."
"Neither funding from the Self Help Commission which comes from the Community Development Fund." Jack said he would like to see better management of State resources in Tobago, and Trinidad too. He said projects started by the THA since 2004 are still incomplete. "Simple things like a two-storey library. They should not be spending money completing projects but creating new ones." "The THA should buckle down and try to manage the $2.2 billion," he said.