2011 Budget Speech
The 2011 budget speech, delivered by Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran today (September 8).
3 thoughts on “Open Thread: 2011 Budget”
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2011 Budget Speech
The 2011 budget speech, delivered by Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran today (September 8).
Comments are closed.
Govt cleans slate
FINANCE Minister Winston Dookeran has said he was pleased the Government had kept their campaign promises just three months after being elected in May.
Dookeran: Time to clean-up
FINANCE Minister Winston Dookeran yesterday vowed to “clean-up” the mess caused by widespread financial mismanagement, as he presented the first Budget of the People’s Partnership coalition which offered relief to depositors of CL Financial subsidiaries and the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) and pledged tighter financial regulations and incentives to bolster the economy.
Bailout Budget
Thousands of Clico, HCU depositors to receive $75,000 each
Alutrint, rapid rail projects scrapped
Rowley: Budget promised a lot, delivered little
Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has labelled yesterday’s budget a disappointing one, saying only three areas were definitive but apart from that, “the budget promised a lot but delivered a little”.
…Rowley: Budget was mundane
Browne: No sense of new direction
PM: It’s rebirth for economic sanity
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has described her Government’s first national budget as “a rebirth for economic sanity” of T&T.
It’s good for people
Good, vague and optimistic were some of the reactions of South businessmen in the wake of Finance Minister Winston Dookeran’s $49 billion 2010/2011 budget yesterday.
HCU depositors praise payout
President of the Hindu Credit Union Members Group Deosaran Bisnath yesterday heaped praise on Government for its decision to consider the plight of depositors and shareholders, and for giving hope again to more than 100,000 persons.
Harnarine: HCU board members were not consulted on Govt payout
HINDU Credit Union (HCU) boss, Harry Harnarine, said yesterday that the Government’s decision on the defunct credit union may be in contempt of the court.
‘Where’s the beef?’
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London and Minority Leader Ashworth Jack said yesterday they expected more than the 4.3 per cent allotment of the national budget they got, as is mandated by law.
Jack to THA: Use money to benefit all Tobagonians
Minority leader in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Ashworth Jack yesterday urged the ruling People’s National Movement to use the money allocated to Tobago in the 2010-2011 National Budget to benefit all Tobagonians.
Dookeran on CLICO: We will fix it
Finance Minister Winston Dookeran yesterday promised that the insurance policies and investments of quarter of a million CLICO members will be honoured by the People’s Partnership Government, 18 months after CLICO’s parent CL Financial collapsed.
Consultant: Clico plan workable
Imbert calls budget irresponsible and disappointing
“I saw very strange things in the budget that made no sense to me,” Imbert told the Express.
Bartlett ‘happy with focus on agriculture’
Farmers disappointed over allocation for agriculture
Perks for healthcare ‘commendable’
PRESIDENT of the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association George Chamely has commended Finance Minister Winston Dookeran’s attempt to ease the strain at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH)
Designers happy with $10m plan
Fashion stakeholders are happy with Government’s announcement to assist in marketing the industry internationally.
Big tourism thrust for Sevilla House
In a bid to increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s GDP, Government will establish a Sugar Heritage Village and Museum at Sevilla House in Caroni.
Minister: Foreign firms showing interest in T&T gas
$1,000 extra for cops
Police Welfare head ‘not thrilled’ about bicycle officers
Protective services: Not enough incentives
Various arms of the protective services have strongly criticised the 2010/2011 budget that was presented in Parliament yesterday by Finance Minister Winston Dookeran.
Williams: $1,000 a good start
Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams yesterday approved of the introduction of a tax free $1,000 special duty allowance for police officers, although president of the Police Social and Welfare Association Sgt Anand Ramesar accused the Government of shortchanging them.
…PM: No allowance for SAUTT
Budget based on bright hopes
If the People’s Partnership administration was contemplating a third election campaign shortly, a budget different from the one Finance Minister Winston Dookeran delivered yesterday can hardly be imagined.
Special care for crime victims
THE MINISTRY of National Security was allocated $4.7 billion for the fiscal year 2010-2011, an increase of $600 million, part of which will finance a National Security Operation Centre (NSOC).
Sweetheart Budget
It never was going to be an easy task for Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, or for the whole new People’s Partnership government. This government was swept into power on a surprisingly sudden tsunami caused by Patrick Manning’s decision to call a mid-term election. The People’s Partnership did not even exist when the election was announced. The leadership of the UNC in Opposition had just been changed, and the COP, TOP, NJAC and the Trade Union movement were separate entities, some even quarrelling with each other at the time.
A mixed bag from Mr Dookeran
There is much that was good in Finance Minister Winston Dookeran’s 2011 budget presentation. In many respects, the budget was remarkably similar to the last two budgets presented by former Finance Minister Karen Tesheira. While there are those on both sides of the political spectrum who would take offence to that statement, there is much to be said for economic continuity and predictability.
Finance Minister Winston Dookeran has stated that the budget is not about what you get, but it is about where you want to be. A profound statement indeed! The question is how many of us can relate to it?
A Sea-Tunnel to Tobago: This PP Budget has caused the opposition party and other hopeful and upcoming politicians to use their imagination to come up with ‘one-up-manship’ ideas to ‘better’ the fantastic ideas of the PP.
It is proven that competition improves quality. In politics, better politicians arise when the current politicians have mind-blowing ideas. It is therefore all good for the development of politics in T&T.
One of these is the idea to Build a Sea-Tunnel to Tobago. This brilliant idea arose out of the PP exploration of a Tunnel from Tunapuna(Piarco) to Maracas Bay(North Coast). A Brilliant vision to hone the vast tourism and development of the North Coast as a premium tourism cash cow.
So a common Tobagonian, with aspiration for going up for THA election in 2013, decide to ‘coin’ the idea ‘ a sea-bridge to Tobago’. One only has to look to the World’s Longest Undersea Tunnel – the Seikan Tunnel. In order to understand the duration and the expanse of such a project is truly a phenomenal. Also, the Road Tunnels in Turkey present a true utilization of tunneling expertise.
A Bridge or Tunnel to Tobago will truly be MegaProject that will make the Brian Lara Stadium disaster look like chicken feed compared to this ‘idea’. A tunnel to Tobago will have to be greater than 22 Miles long, and go ass deep as 400 feet underground, as the deepest point between Toco and Canoe Bay is approximately 350ft.
One must consider that the responsibility of a citizen is to look after the Nation. When the cost vs benefit, the length of such a project, and length of the payback period, one has to envision a business plan that includes a tunnel to Venezuela, linking up to the Pan-American Highway, where Tobago will have to become a mini-Singapore to justify the investment.