Next Thursday (June 23), Tobagonians can expect what is being described as a green budget by Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.
“Green is a good colour. It’s a colour for sustainable development, it’s the colour for environmentally sound policies, colour for rejuvenation and of course, restoration.”
Speaking at the THA’s post-Executive Council meeting, Augustine said the colour captures policies that have been specifically tailored towards sustainable environmental development for the island.
On June 23, the Progressive Democratic Patriots-led THA executive will pioneer its first budget presentation and Augustine said he was unnerved by the task ahead.
“The last budget presented in the house, which was in 2020, as you would recall, we had no budget in 2021, I did the official response to that budget in 2020 and so it is not the first time I’m speaking to a budget, of course, there will be some measure of anxiety, it is human nature.”
He said the executive will be stepping away from the usual budget day rhetoric, assuring time will be spent articulating solutions to some of the island’s challenges.
“Expect some groundbreaking ideas and as the name of our party suggests, we will be very progressive, it will be a progressive agenda, one like never before seen on the island of Tobago and perhaps the country.”
Despite holding cards close to his chest, Augustine said there will be a break in tradition, with a longer debate than usual.
“This year we will have three days of debates as opposed to the usual two days of debate and that is owing to the fact that we have a significantly larger assembly than we had previously.”
He said public consultations will begin on the comprehensive economic development plan immediately after the budget. He said the previous plan expired two years ago and there was a need to act with haste.
