With the Progressive Democratic Patriots having won Monday's Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, the party will form a new executive that will govern the island for the next four years, after Thursday's swearing-in ceremony.
With Tobago autonomy legislation still before the Parliament, the THA Act remains the law that determines the responsibilities of the Assembly and the THA executive, and those that remain the responsibilities of the Central Government.
The responsibilities that the new THA executive will have, are listed under the 5th Schedule of the THA Act.
The Central Government will have responsibility for the items under the 6th Schedule.
The Central Government is responsible for promoting the delivery in Tobago of services to the public in relation to the matters set out in the 7th Schedule, and in so doing shall give due consideration to the views of the Assembly, according to the THA Act.
Here are the relevant schedules that outline the responsibilities:
FIFTH SCHEDULE: AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ASSEMBLY
1. Finance, that is to say the collection of revenue and the meeting of expenditure incurred in the carrying out of the functions of the Assembly;
2. State Lands;
3. Land and marine parks;
4. Museums, archives, historical sites and historical buildings;
5. Public buildings and the maintenance of the residences of the President and the Prime Minister;
6. Tourism;
7. Sports;
8. Culture and the Arts;
9. Community Development;
10. Co-operatives;
11. Agriculture;
12. Fisheries;
13. Food Production;
14. Forestry;
15. Town and Country Planning;
16. Infrastructure, including air and sea transportation, wharves and airports and public utilities;
17. Telecommunications;
18. Highway and Roads;
19. Industrial Development;
20. The Environment;
21. Customs and Excise;
22. Licensing;
23. Health Services;
24. Library Services;
25. Education including Curriculum;
26. Social Welfare;
27. Marketing;
28. Valuations;
29. Postal services and collection of revenue therefrom;
30. Statistics and Information;
31. Housing;
32. Plant and Animal Quarantine;
33. Such other matters as the President may, by Order, assign to the Assembly.
SIXTH SCHEDULE: MATTERS FOR WHICH THE ASSEMBLY SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE
1. The President;
2. National Security;
3. Foreign Affairs;
4. Civil Aviation;
5. Meteorology;
6. Immigration;
7. Legal Affairs including the registration of legal documents;
8. Judiciary;
9. Auditor General;
10. Ombudsman;
11. Service Commissions.
SEVENTH SCHEDULE: SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED OR DELIVERED IN TOBAGO
Services of—
1. the Supreme Court;
2. all Service Commissions;
3. the Ombudsman;
4. the Treasury, Comptroller of Accounts and Pensions Division;
5. the Government Printery;
6. the Registrar General;
7. the Probate Registry;
8. the Director of Public Prosecutions;
9. the Chief Parliamentary Counsel;
10. the Telecommunications Authority in respect of the issuing of concessions and licences;
11. the National Training Board;
12. the Ministry responsible for Industry and Commerce in respect of the granting of licences;
13. the Ministry responsible for Agriculture in respect of the granting of licences;
14. CARIRI;
15. the Bureau of Standards;
16. the National Lotteries Control Board;
17. the Ministry responsible for National Security in respect of the issuance of police certificates of good character, forensic science, work permits
and residency applications;
18. the Ministry of Health in respect of laboratory tests that are unable to be performed in Tobago;
19. the Food and Drugs Division, Ministry of Health in respect of inspection and analysis of food and drugs;
20. the Lands and Surveys Department in respect of compulsory acquisitions and applications under the Real Property Act, Ch. 56:02.