Elizabeth Gonzales
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will inject an additional $300 million into development projects next year, raising its development budget to $501 million while keeping all other spending at 2025 levels.
Finance Secretary Petal-Ann Roberts said the move follows a two-day post-budget retreat aimed at making government spending more efficient and growth-driven.
“The strategy for fiscal 2026 is to constrain expenditure to 2025 levels,” Roberts said. “That will allow us to shift approximately $300 million from recurrent to development.”
The THA’s total allocation for fiscal 2026 is $2.96 billion, with an additional $18 million for URP and $9.2 million for CEPEP. Roberts said the programmes will be realigned—URP toward sustainable development and CEPEP toward agriculture—to deliver greater value for Tobago.
She said the shift follows extensive talks involving the Chief Secretary, administrators, and division heads to review performance and improve spending efficiency.
The new development focus will centre on six areas: tourism, agriculture, digital transformation, human capital development, small business support, and infrastructure.
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said the changes reflect a move toward “practical, people-centred spending.”
“We’ve looked closely at what worked, what didn’t, and what must change,” Augustine said. “The next phase is ensuring that every dollar spent has a direct, positive impact on the people of Tobago.”
