Labour Minister Rennie Dumas says Tobagonians should do well to remember 1998–as the "Year of Pain." They had removed the $180 million that they had received as accumulative benefit for forming the Coalition in 1995. "In 1998, those benefits were stripped once they had acquired the services of Vincent Lasse and Rupert Griffith. It had been detrimental to us. The anger that was unleashed on Tobago is not sufferable," said Dumas. For 2010, he said Tobago had gotten to the point where they were given $1.3 billion for development. "Tobago revenues grew under the PNM."
Rummaging through his mental archives, he said, "You had the 18-17-1 another accommodation. He remembered when MP Nathaniel Moore and Debra Moore-Miggins agitated for a resolution. "Moore said, "What is the debt to THA that the UNC owes. Assam laughed in his face. Again, they didn't need the NAR. It was a situation where the government crashed. "He traced the various allocations.
Starting with 2002, he said the PNM provided Tobago with $676 million. "Now you begin to see the first full year and Tobago won the two seats. PNM in the House of Assembly. It goes up to $744 million in 2003. Recurrent being $583 million and total development being $161 million. "In 2004, the THA Budget gets $1004 million dollars, $828 recurrent and $175 million for development. $175 million was allocated for development." "In 2005, due to the constant push, there was a constant push of $ 804 million for recurrent development," he said.
Tobago on path to prosperity
Dumas divined Tobago was on a path to prosperity. "It is instructive in 2010, you had a steady growth in the recurrent to the point where one can argue you can see $1.3 billion being spent on Tobago. There was personnel and related expenditure and 500 plus dollars and other minor equipment. "Transfers were $200 million. There was an almost constant and asssured and a predictable amount of more than $1.3 billion," added Dumas. He boasted Tobago had also gotten to the point where there was a "constant and assured $300 million development product." Dumas said, " It would go toward the development of the economic and social infrastructure and general development...schools, roads, bridges, watersystems." "A rate of expenditure on development that was larger than most countries in the world and larger than the national investment in development since it catered for the Tobago catch up which Tobago would make," added Dumas. "You know you are going to get $300 million dollars.
In 2010, in response to the global meltdown, there was $301 million."
He questioned who would want to tamper with a situation where they were given an assured amount– $300 million. "It is just about 25 per cent of your expenditure. $1.5 billion is being spent on development and $1.5 billion on recurrent." "It is of the few areas in the world where government expenditure is about 33 per cent of what is spent on development. That is a higher level."
Ups/downs under coalitions
Tobago had buffeted by the winds of change under Coalition agreements. "What is important for a country is the income in a national sense. It is an accepted fact that it has tripled over the last eight years. The other question would be what is the distribution that is used for the national budget." Using the analogy of a patient visiting a doctor he said they would get their heartbeat, bloodcout and pressure checked. In similar fashion, he said the Budget allocated had to take care of distribution between recurrent expenditure and savings. Sums would be distributed for old age pension, payments for children and development expenditure. Monies would also be used for provision of goods and services to the population. Dumas noted a critical element was the government's posture to the THA in terms of expenditure. "It depends on what it gives for the general welfare of the island. We need to pay particular attention to the behaviour of any government and the Tobago economy," said Dumas. Again, taking a trip down memory lane, he said, In 1995, the Budget allocation was $280 million dollars.
The PNM lost the election. Former President ANR Robinson and Pamela Nicholoson formed a coalition. "Immediately, they did some bargaining. The Budget went up by $43 million. Tobago benefited by an increase. In 1997, Tobago got $137 million dollars. All told, from the formation of the Coaliton Tobago got $2,180 million dollars on its Budget. "Recurrent expenditure would have gone up $212 million to $276 million in 1997 and the development Budget $45 million in 1995 to $155 milliion in 1997.The Coalition would have Back them, the Coalition would have been considered a good thing." In 1997, there were new developments in the Coalition. Vincent Lasse and Rupert Griffith joined them. "The UNC no longer needed Tobago. What was the result for Tobago? Immediately in 1998, you have a 42 per cent cut from $432 million in 1997. It went right back to $252.million.
"The $180 million was immediately removed. So the increase you got was cut immediately backwards in 1999. Because the cost of things, have you $227 in recurrent expenditure." "Then from $276 milliion, you have a reduction from $155 million in development to $16 million dollars. Immediately Tobago lost nearly half of the budget they were getting because of political and fallout reasons. Tobago lost $180 million from $432 million. That was 1998–the Year of Pain.
Dumas continued zeroing on other expenses.
"Personnel went down 22 per cent which was $41 million. Goods and services got a cut. Transfers went down by $33 million to $26 million. It was cut by 20 per cent. " Recurrent expenditure is cut by 18 per cent (fixed salaries) "It meant for shops and stores the sales got slow. Infrastructure went down 91 per cent. If you cut economic expenditure, you take out $109 million to $ nine million
Social infrastructure went from $34 million. The total development went from $155 million to $16 million," he said. "In 2001, Hochoy Charles took up up a whole set of people and told peple not to vote for Basdeo Panday. They were supposed to be in alliance with him. We lost three years. We were lower down under the coalition." "In 2000, we got a two per cent increase. That pain in Tobago continued. People were not getting their money. Teachers were marching." Reverting to his former role of a school teacher admonishing a classroom, he said, "Tobago would do well to remember those numbers and the 'Year of Pain.' "I can't understand the decision to cut your blood flow and not give you any or little means of sustenance. I can't understand under what it means to come to me and say let's start again."
