June 23rd Is Budget Day
Tobago’s budget presentation on Thursday (June 23rd) will be a “green budget”, according to Chief Secretary-Tobago, Hon. Farley Augustine.
In fact, the Chief Secretary is describing green as a “good colour”.
“It’s a colour for sustainable development, it’s the colour for environmentally-sound policies, [the] colour for rejuvenation and of course, restoration,” Augustine said.
This is the first budget presentation for the 2021-2025 THA administration. The budget debate and response will be held on June 28th and June 29th.
In the lead up to Budget Day, The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has been hosting the Budget 2023 Consultation series titled: “Make It Make Cents”. During the series, the Chief Secretary, who is also Secretary of the Division of Finance, Trade and the Economy (DFTE), discusses critical aspects of Tobago’s economy with residents and industry stakeholders.
The series is available on the THA’s Facebook pages—including the Office of the Chief Secretary (OCS) and the Finance Division—as well as on YouTube.
The topic for the latest installment, on June 20th, was “The Budget: Food Security and Rural Development”. Discussions surrounded the importance of agriculture to sustainability, the role of fisherfolk, and understanding the value of production to the market.
“If you chook something in the ground, if you plant something, then you can look out for something growing,” Augustine said.
Guests that joined the Chief Secretary included President of the Goldsborough Farmers Association Mr Roland Murray and President of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (AFTA) Mr. Curtis Douglas.
To view Episode 4, visit the Youtube channel: Touch Tobago Live.
