Joshua Seemungal
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has challenged the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to subsidise or cover the cost of the airfare for Tobagonians facing challenging circumstances. He was responding to complaints by Chief Secretary of the THA Farley Augustine about the increase in the price of airplane tickets between Trinidad and Tobago.
“My friend from Tobago is saying we should not increase the price of a ticket to Tobago to $200. It’s the cheapest flight of its kind in the Caribbean, still. And the real cost is about $700. You’re being asked to pay $200,” the Prime Minister said, tongue in cheek, at the PNM’s Post Budget Meeting in Mt Hope on Friday evening.
“All those who are able to pay should pay the increased cost and if there are people who genuinely have a case, then give them a subsidy or even a free ticket. If a person has to come to Port-of-Spain General Hospital because they could only get care there, I’m asking the THA to put something in place where such a person can get the benefit of a free ticket.
“If you have students in Tobago who are only able to access what they are studying by frequent travel to St Augustine Campus, give them a subsidised ticket from Tobago from the THA, but don’t come and ask me to put the price on the basis of their affordability.”
During the 2023 Budget presentation last Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that from January there will be a $50 increase–from $150 to $200–for tickets for Caribbean Airlines flights between Trinidad and Tobago.
The cost of the journey via sea was also raised to $75 for a one-way, standard ticket, while a premium ticket was increased to $150.
According to Imbert, the current subsidy is $100 million for transportation between the islands.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, at the Government’s post-budget meeting, also discussed the increase in fuel costs, following a decrease in the fuel subsidy.
The cost of premium fuel increased to $7.75 per litre, super increased to $6.97 per litre, and diesel went up to $4.41 per litre.
Following the increases, the Government has faced heavy criticism from some quarters.
“The population ought to know that the reason we are doing that (reducing subsidies) is because the funds are not available to us as before, for the Government to pay all those bills and some of those bills, most people in this country are being asked to make a contribution…there’s still a heavy element of subsidy,” Rowley said.
“We chose to take the subsidy down from the fuel side. What would you have preferred? For us to do what the UNC did and pay the subsidy in the tune of $14 billion that we had in that period and cut the subsidy for the hospital? Would you have preferred to put a price in Mount Hope when you walk through the door? Or San Fernando Hospital? Or tell you, you have to pay school fees in secondary school or primary school?”
The fuel subsidy is expected to cost the State $2.2 billion this year.
Criticising Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her budget response on Friday, the Prime Minister accused the UNC leader of delivering a presentation full of misrepresentation, misinformation, and lies.
“They are all about election and office because they are all about themselves…” he added. The UNC and good news about Trinidad and Tobago do not go good together, the PM said.
“There are some things that don’t mix, you know. Oil and water in a bottle, they start to separate, they don’t mix. A bull and a red flag don’t go together. A pothound in a yard and the visitor coming in and the pothound say you come to eat my food, they don’t go together. Vampires and silver crosses don’t go together.”
Dr Rowley said despite what was being said by the Opposition and some economists about the country’s economic circumstances, things have improved and are starting to look up.
While acknowledging the importance of diversification, he said oil and gas remains the country’s best bet at ensuring economic well-being.