The Tobago People’s Party (TPP) has launched a comprehensive strategic roadmap for the island’s development, presenting both a four-year action plan and a visionary 20-year framework extending to 2045. Party leader Farley Augustine unveiled the blueprint during a January 1st event at Uptown Fascinators Pan Theatre in Scarborough, characterizing it as a people-centered approach to governance.
The plan outlines ambitious digital transformation goals, targeting 70% efficiency for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) by 2035 and 95% by 2045 through comprehensive digitization of government systems. Augustine emphasized the critical need to reduce transaction times and shift Tobago’s business landscape toward digital operations, noting that cash-only businesses are limiting their growth potential.
Economic objectives include establishing a minimum wage of $5,500 by 2027 and implementing minimum five-year contracts for “10 days” workers. The TPP aims to achieve a GDP per capita of US$10,000 by 2035 and US$20,000 by 2045, primarily through public-private partnerships.
Tourism represents a cornerstone of the development strategy, with targets of 6% economic contribution by 2030 and 8% by 2035. Augustine called for a 25% increase in long-stay visitors by 2030 and 60% growth in short-stay visitors by 2035, highlighting the need for at least 1,500 four-star or five-star hotel rooms on the island. The party is currently engaging with luxury hotel chains including Marriott and Hilton while emphasizing community tourism, eco-tourism, and sports tourism—all while maintaining environmental protections and opposing beach privatization.
Food security initiatives include $100,000 grant funding for farmers aged 35 and younger, while infrastructure development will receive $600 million in annual investment for road improvements, including specific projects at Darrel Spring boardwalk, Turpin Bend, and a new transit hub in Scarborough.
Augustine contrasted the TPP’s detailed blueprint with the PNM’s “Big Bold Red Deal,” asserting that his party provides concrete implementation strategies rather than mere objectives. The plan specifically addresses job creation with targeted sectors identified for generating over 8,000 employment opportunities.
The blueprint framework encompasses five strategic areas: overall development philosophy, social contract, strategic policy agenda, grand vision and priorities, and implementation logic. Augustine described the document as essential reading for all stakeholders—from engineers to construction workers—emphasizing that everyone must work from the same plan to build “a brighter Tobago where every child has the opportunity to self-actualize.”