Tensions flared during a recent session of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives as opposition MPs raised concerns over an $8 million reduction in the budget allocation for garbage collection and other services in Port of Spain. The debate, which took place on October 21, saw Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young leading the charge, asserting that the cuts would significantly hamper the capital city’s ability to manage waste effectively. Minister of Local Government Khadijah Ameen countered these claims, stating that the allocation was sufficient and could be supplemented if necessary. She accused the opposition of creating unnecessary panic and seeking headlines rather than focusing on the facts. Ameen emphasized that the line item in question covered multiple services, not solely garbage collection. However, Young and other MPs, including Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland and Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert, remained unconvinced, pointing to broader reductions in the Port of Spain City Corporation’s budget for goods and services, which had decreased by $20 million over the past year. St Ann’s East MP Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales also pressed Ameen for clarity on where additional funding might come from, to which she reiterated her earlier responses. The session highlighted growing concerns over the financial management of essential services in the capital.