‘More $$ expected for national security’
By —Kim Boodram
The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business group, said yesterday it expected a greater budget allocation to national security, considering the Government’s emphasis on safety.
In a statement following yesterday’s 2010/2011 budget presentation by Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, the chamber said it was pleased the Government outlined a three-to-five-year horizon in its first budget presentation but it wanted more specific details.
“Notwithstanding this, we welcome the new security initiatives identified and look forward to their swift implementation,” the chamber said, adding: “While there were several measures identified for diversification of the economy, we expected that greater emphasis would have been placed on this area, in particular, agriculture and tourism, in order to stimulate the economy and generate new areas of sustainable growth.
“We welcome the measures put in place for small business and entrepreneurship as an area of growth for the economy. We were also pleased with the new incentives for the energy sector, which would assist in further expansion of the sector.”
The chamber said it was encouraged Dookeran noted the outstanding payments owed to the private sector for VAT refunds and contract work.
It was also eager for the implementation of plans to improve the infrastructure and efficiency of the public service. (Trinidad Express)
—Kim Boodram