Government
Opposition Blasts PNP Budget; Cites its touted benefits as ‘a Lie’
By Dana Malcolm with Deandrea Hamilton
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, May 15, 2023 – Much ado about nothing is how Edwin Astwood, Leader of the Opposition is describing the historic $424.3 million dollar budget laid in parliament on April 26 by the PNP Administration; he says it fails to address the issues impacting Turks and Caicos residents and much of what was touted is simply not true.
“While laying the Budget estimates in the House of Assembly, the previous week, the Minister of Finance stated that “Our government policies and priorities for FY2032/2024 have been meticulously crafted to enable us to carry on with our mission of Delivering on the Citizen’s Contract: Achieving Social, Economic, and Environmental Progress for All.” A pretty good empty phrase.
Well, the numbers and programs showed that this is a Lie, this budget does not address any of those issues for our people and our country,” said Astwood in a media statement on Wednesday, May 10.
He said the budget does not address the cost of living; housing; border crisis; training of residents; increasing access to quality; and affordable health care; beautification; salary inequalities.
“Most of all it does nothing more for our people,” he said, in a strongly worded press release on May 10th. “The Honourable Minister of Finance also stated the fact that this is the Biggest Budget Ever for the TCI, and that “his PNP Government is investing $424.3 million into our people and our country. This is also a lie, and if you had the time to listen to the Appropriations Committee Hearings, you would know from the information provided that,
He claimed the majority of the money would not go back to the residents of the Turks and Caicos and by virtue of the insight gained from his position on the Appropriations committee said this:
“Outside the normal recurrent expenditure on salaries and allowance and renovations, nothing is being spent on our people or our country. The Recurrent Expenditure increases are mostly for the Destination Management Organization (DMO), $14 Million on Professional & Consultancies, $28 million in Subventions to Statutory Bodies, $22.8million to InterHealth’s InfraCo Unitary payment, and $35.4 million for InterHealth’s ClinCo payment and Treatment Abroad, $7.2 million for SIPT, Hosting Conferences, 56 new positions (to add to the 400 vacant positions), and Land Acquisitions.”
Based on the budget presented by E Jay Saunders, Acting Premier and Finance Minister on April 26th recurrent expenditure is the bulk of the budget at $348 million. Recurrent expenditure pays for civil servants salaries, free healthcare and dental, social programs like home help and more.
Astwood also said not enough money was being spent on roads and electrification combined for the entire country, and claimed that government programs ‘have been cut or are greatly underfunded.’
“This is a Historic Budget of constraints,” he said. “Local and international Training Cut, Internal training cut, youth activities cut, no increase in international scholarships, no expansion of Preventative Health, no expansion to national security and Border, small and medium contracts cut, preventative maintenance and clearing cut, and no increase in grants to entrepreneurs and startup businesses, just to name a few.”
He frowned on the claim that the budget was ‘green and gender based’, explaining that he had yet to see any specific programs to address these issues. He highlighted too that there was nothing budgeted for a salary increase but admitted the government is doing a grading exercise to see what increases are needed. The Opposition Leader called for an immediate increase.
“The PDM is asking the government to give civil Servants a 10% across-the-board increase as a cost-of-living adjustment. I do not care that they would get the brownie points if they do this, my only concern is that our people need it, and they need it NOW, not a year from now.”
The budget will be debated on May 16th.