October 10 is budget day in T&T

Back to work. PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar speaks with reporters shortly after leaving hospital on Friday

After two days in hospital Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar bounced back and went right to work on Friday, announcing that budget day is October 10.

She told reporters the decision was taken at Thursday's Cabinet meeting. She participated in the meeting from her hospital bed at the St Clair Medical Centre.

"One major matter is Budget Day which is October 10th at 1:30pm in Parliament. That is one major matter we were able to settle," she said.

"Other matters we are still reviewing such as matters to do with the State of Emergency, the curfew, whether we will lift the curfew, whether we will continue the curfew. So those are things next week we will give some consideration to as we review day by day," Persad-Bissessar added.

The fiscal year ended Friday. The Prime Minister a major challenge for the new year will be balancing the needs of the various ministries with whatever little is available in the Treasury.

She said that was what ministers discussed Thursday. "I have given the instruction at the meeting when you say 'I want more for my particular portfolio, tell me which portfolio to take it from' and of course, you have to get a consensus. That went very well," she said.

"They've briefed me on that meeting, what transpired from it. Is the medium term framework together with the PSIP allocations which was done by the Minister of Planning in conjunction with the Minister of Finance."

Persad-Bissessar said building five new hospitals is among the priorities for the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).

The Prime Minister said the budget will contain some surprises.