DINESH RAMBALLY
TT FINDS itself at a crossroads yet again, grappling with a projected $9 billion deficit for fiscal year 2024, as revealed in the recent mid-year review by the Minister of Finance. Despite a staggering expenditure exceeding $60 billion, the populace is left disillusioned and disheartened by the glaring absence of tangible improvements in their daily lives.
This dissonance between government spending and public welfare is evident across various sectors, painting a grim picture of systemic neglect and misplaced priorities. Is this the progress that the PNM Government promised?
By the minister’s own words, the next three years are going to be very difficult. During the start of the fiscal year the budget was overly optimistic of the price of gas and oil. The truth be told, the minister was fully aware of this. He is not as clueless as he sounds in Parliament.
The fact is that the price of gas and oil were overestimated on purpose so that he would not have to say the full extent of the deficit back then. He was hoping that by now the Revenue Authority would have been in place, property taxes would have been fully implemented, utility rates would have increased and that would have allowed him to save some political face. Instead, he is relying on the diplomacy of the IMF, which in the conclusion of its statement indicated that we are on a downward trajectory.
The state of TT's road network stands as a testament to governmental apathy and inefficiency. Pothole-riddled streets resemble obstacle courses, wreaking havoc on vehicles and endangering lives. Yet, despite promises of infrastructure development and maintenance, the reality on the ground remains unchanged. Citizens navigate treacherous roads with no reprieve in sight, underscoring the Government's failure to deliver on its basic responsibilities. The Ministry of Works and Transport is to receive $155 million more.
Compounding matters is the pervasive spectre of crime that haunts TT's communities. Despite pledges to bolster law enforcement and combat criminal activity, the nation continues to grapple with alarmingly high crime rates. Citizens live in a perpetual state of fear, disillusioned by the Government's inability to provide adequate security and uphold the rule of law. The cycle of violence perpetuates, eroding trust in public institutions and undermining social cohesion.
In the realm of healthcare, TT faces a crisis of access and quality. Overburdened hospitals struggle to meet the needs of patients, resulting in prolonged waiting times and substandard care. Talk of curtailment of the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP) drugs threatens to exacerbate an already dire situation. If implemented it would deprive vulnerable individuals of life-saving medications.
I further warn that any curtailment of CDAP would only signal a callous disregard for public health and underscore the Government's misplaced priorities and disregard for the well-being of its citizens.
Furthermore, the proposed increase in utility rates witho
