Improving health care, boosting agriculture, and strengthening education.

These are some of the priority areas that will improve life and drive economic development in Tobago, according to Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles.

As Trinidad and Tobago celebrates 56 years of Independence, Charles said the qualities that have served Tobago well in the past, like hard work, industry and sacrifice, are needed to “catapult” the island “to its full potential”, Charles said in his 2018 Independence address.

Charles said this is a major goal of the Tobago House of Assembly. He said the island is prioritising agricultural development.

“…This administration is committed to providing incentives for the island’s farmers,” Charles said. “Tobago’s only agricultural institution, the Kendal Farm School, has to date facilitated 25 training programmes and at its 2018 graduation, 45 persons completed the Youth Apprenticeship Programme in Agriculture (YAPA), the largest cohort ever.”

He said the THA has also taken steps to “improve the efficiency of programmes such as the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and the Community-Based Environment Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP)”.

Health care is also in focus, with the setting up of the Policy Research and Planning Unit at the TRHA, which has begun cancer research. And operating hours at health centres at Canaan and Scarborough have been extended.

This week, the sod was turned for the construction of the Moriah Health Centre (August 27) and the Stroke, Diabetes and Foot Care Centre in Scarborough was commissioned (August 28).

Education has also gotten a boost with yesterday’s commissioning of the new Scarborough RC School at Smithfield.