Can you believe it?
With a $7.7b deficit budget being presented to the nation the Patrick Manning administration sees nothing wrong in purchasing two prime properties overseas, one in Canada and the other in the United States.
Sept. 15th was the closing date for the purchase of the commercial building in Toronto, Canada, for use by the Trinidad and Tobago consulate in the city; the full asking price of which was Cdn$4.25 (TT $TT$24.319 million).
In the revised budget figures the Govt. has put aside TT$46.2 million for this purchase - TT$21.6m more than what's needed to complete the transaction!
Now, where dis money going please?
Even given that they can see no difficulty in paying a property tax of more than half a million TT annually for same in today's depressed economic situation this is utter madness.
Are they perhaps contemplating renting out portions of the same to generate revenue? Presumably, however, these purchases influenced their mindset in their budget proposals and would help account for the draconian property tax increases, amongst other draconian increases now being inflicted on a suffering nation.
Since none of these government officials, to the best of my knowledge, are subject to the same income and many other taxes inflicted on the ordinary mortals amongst us and are led by a PM who receives an obscene $13m annually by way of entertainment allowance alone, it would seem that their objectivity is now completely out of focus.
Integrity Commission or not, this over budgeting must be accounted for.
Enuff is enuff. We must demand accountability.
This, and the citizens' demands for same, are sadly lacking today. The people of T&T need realise that the Heritage fund is really not all that healthy given the Manning administration's proclivity for spending.
If spending continues at this rate unchecked we will find ourselves in short shrift once more in the warm embrace of the IMF.
How many remember what it was like the last time the PNM put us in that position?
Wake up T&T.......the business community included......God is not really a Trini.
Virginia Verity
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