SHAR­LENE RAM­PER­SAD

The biggest chunk of the $49.573 bil­lion Bud­get for 2020/2021 has gone to the Ed­u­ca­tion and Train­ing sec­tor—with an al­lo­ca­tion of some $7.93 bil­lion.

Fi­nance Min­is­ter Colm Im­bert said the 2021 Bud­get is pegged on an oil price of US$45 and a gas price of US$3.00 per MMB­TU.

Speak­ing in Par­lia­ment on Mon­day, Im­bert said the bud­get deficit is pro­ject­ed at $8.20 bil­lion.

Min­is­ter Im­bert stat­ed the al­lo­ca­tions:

● Health Sec­tor will re­ceive $6.050 bil­lion;

● Na­tion­al Se­cu­ri­ty will be al­lo­cat­ed $5.277 bil­lion;

● Works and Trans­port will be al­lo­cat­ed $2.965 bil­lion;

● Pub­lic Util­i­ties will be al­lo­cat­ed $2.091 bil­lion;

● Agri­cul­ture will be al­lo­cat­ed $1.198 bil­lion; and

● Hous­ing will be al­lo­cat­ed $1 bil­lion.

The Fi­nance Min­is­ter said T&T’s oil rev­enue is pro­ject­ed to be $9.265 bil­lion, while non-oil rev­enue is pro­ject­ed to be $31.193 bil­lion, over the next fis­cal year.