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| File: PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar with ministers of government who accompanied her on her official visit to India |
The leader of government business was responding to a question from opposition MP Donna Cox. He said Vidwatie Newton's travel cost $233,600.
Moonilal named the other people who traveled first class:
- The Prime Minister
- The PM's spouse, Dr Gregory Bissessar
- The PM's permanent secretary and head of the Public Service Reynold Cooper
- Davendranath Tancoo
- Gary Griffith
- Barry Padarath
- Lisa Ghany
- Rayden Boodhan
A cabinet minute from 2006 outlines who are entitled to travel first class during official trips. Cooper told the Express newspaper cabinet has the authority to make changes as necessary.
"Cabinet can decide on additional names," he said. "Let's say that the Government invites Larry Howai as chairman of a State agency to go on official business with them, they would determine that he travels first class. So outside of the Circular, the Cabinet decides and all overseas travel goes to Cabinet," Cooper added
"You may find that if it is a very long trip and an officer has to go, you don't want the officer to travel economy and when he arrives, he has jet lag, and he has to attend a meeting the next day and he cannot perform (properly). So you must determine that based on the distance the person has to travel, they would go first class or business class as the case may be," Cooper explained.
Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan gave Parliament a breakdown of expenses for members of his staff who accompanied the delegation to India. He said the total cost was $186,405.23 broken down as follows:
- Gideon Hanoomansingh (minister's communications adviser) - $81,826.12
- Avanesh Ramsubagh, (adviser to the minister) - $53,176.12
- Ricky Latiff (Videographer) - $53,173.12
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