She was speaking in her capacity as Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) at a rally at the Rienzi Complex to mark her second anniversary as leader of the party.
"We are in discussions with the Minister of Public Utilities on giving further support to our less fortunate and elderly population and persons who are disabled and those in receipt of public assistance," Persad-Bissessar said.
"I propose to increase our current subsidy on water and electricity to 100% for old age pensioners and the poor and low income persons on social assistance who currently fall under the utilities assistance program (UAP)."
The plan means all the people who fall within those groups will no longer have to pay for the two utilities.
Persad-Bissessar also listed her government's principal achievements during the past 20 months in office and promised to continue to deliver what the people want and need.
AGRICULTURE
- Construction of over 350 water ponds
- More than 300 kilometers of access roads
- Developed and staffed a praedial larceny squad
- Provided leases for thousands of acres of agricultural land to farmers
- Provided initiatives for greenhouse projects
- Refurbishing fishing depots throughout this country
EDUCATION
- 29 Early Childcare centres completed, 24 under construction and another 85 to begin construction
- Repaired and refurbished more than 586 schools
- Completed the construction of more than 11 primary schools
- Refurbish and open the Biche High School
- 39,000 laptop computers for first form secondary school students
- GATE program widened, national scholarships increased
- Transparency in the award of scholarships
- Launched seven Workforce Assessment Centres to certify workers who previously did not have had any qualifications
- Open COSTAATT campus in Sangre Grande to serve 800 students
- Sod turning for a new University Campus in Penal/Debe. (Work on construction to begin within the next month
- Staged the Sci-TechKnoFest where some 35,000 visitors participated
- Will host India’s largest Travelling Science Exhibit at the Divali Nagar Site in Chaguanas, May 2012
EDUCATION IN TOBAGO
- Opened the Tobago Technology Center in Canaan Bon Accord, the largest skills training centre in Tobago
- Launched through the University of Trinidad and Tobago the Bachelors of Education in Tobago at the Technology Centre
- Opened the Bethel Empowerment Centre in Bethel Tobago providing computer training to the community for the first time
- Launched the YTEPP Mobile Computer Training Unit dedicated to servicing communities in Tobago with the support of a USAID grant in the sum of US$90,000
- Will train Nigerian Students in areas such as Welding and Industrial Maintenance
PEOPLE
- Increased food cards, housing grant, housing articles grant, domestic help grant, funeral grant, pharmaceutical grant, house rent grant, school supplies grant, housing assistance grant, special child grant, medical equipment grant
- Direct Impact 50,000 persons interacted with througout TT
- URP 200 Mothers of Children employed in URP Social
- $11,5 million centre for the differently abled this year
- Social intervention in the east west corridor and in at risk communities
- Introduction of the first of its kind in the world ''Temporary Food Card"
- Subsidies through the Utilities Assistance Programme for lower income persons
- Increased old age pensions
- Public Transport to every corner of Trinidad and Tobago from Cedros to Biche, from Moruga to Carenage
- Free transport for anyone over 60
HOUSING
- 4,100 housing starts last year, 6,000 expected in 2012
- 6,900 houses to be delivered by the end of 2012, hundreds more already delivered and handed over to deserving citizens
- Transparency in the allocation of homes
- Provision of homes to victims of difficult circumstances
- More than 600 Certificates of Comfort giving security of tenure for the first time
- Infrastructural upgrades on existing HDC housing sites
HEALTH
- Expanding the range of medical treatment available in Trinidad and Tobago
- Glaucoma filtration surgery using the latest Ex-Press Glaucoma Filtration Device
- Conducted the first joint replacement surgery
- Enhancing health centres to widen the reach of medical services
- Opened a Cardiology Unit at the San Fernando General Hospital.
- Revised standard operating procedures for obstetric and midwifery
- Commenced XRay and Ultrasound services at the Siparia District Health facility
- Commissioned eye theatres at San Fernando General
- Upgraded dental labs at the Dental Hospital
- Varying stages of the development of the construction of five hospitals300 bed hospital facility at Chancery Lane in San Fernando to open in 2012.
- District Health offices medicines packaged for chronic deseases for elderly
- Special Programs in 2012 at health centres to help the elderly to end waiting for medicines
- Pilot project “Medicine at your door step” coming for sick and infirm out-patients
ECONOMY/FINANCE
- Developed repayment opportunities for depositors and investors of CLICO and HCU: CLICO - $1 billion paid out to depositors $75,000 and under, some depositors over $75,000, to trade union and credit union depositors representing more than 10,000 persons.
- With respect to the HCU notifications sent to 16,000 depositors, more to go out on a daily basis for full payment to all with deposits of under $75,000
- Low inflation, low food prices
- Restore international confidence in the economy
- Positive responses to business opportunities in T&T from international investors.
- Economic recovery starts in 2012, all the financial statistics in the right direction
ENERGY ACHIEVEMENTS
- Started work on the Galeota Port which had been delayed for three (3) years under the PNM
- Cabinet considering a US$5.7 billion investment in a Petrochemical complex which will represent the largest investment in the history of Trinidad & Tobago
- 15 exploration wells for Oil & Gas drilled in Trinidad & Tobago in 2012 (PNM did 1 in 2009 and 2 in 2010)
- Cabinet approved conversion of PTSC fleet to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
- Major inroads in dismantling the illegal bunkering of diesel, savings of $94M in subsidy
- The National Gas Company (NGC) signed a MOU for development natural gas industry in Tanzania
- Opportunities for T&Tobago companies coming out of mission to India
- Children’s Life Fund ensures no child will suffer because could not afford the cost of medical treatment
- Construction of a Children’s Hospital in Central Trinidad
- NIPDEC to complete Project management and construction at several Children’s Homes and Institutions
- Plans for Healing Institute to support the mental and spiritually welfare of citizens
- Development of Respite Centres for persons who work as caregivers
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
- Hired international marketing companies to market this country to investors and visitors
- Trade facilitation offices worldwide offering information about services and opportunities in T&T
- Completed major refurbishment of the Vanguard Hotel now called the Magdelena Hotel in Tobago to inject new lifeblood into the Tobago economy
- TTBizLink to revolutionalise business by bring information, linkages, legislation, procedures etc all within the touch of a finger
No comments:
Post a Comment