分类： politics

Addressing the opening of the 13th Republican Parliament’s second session yesterday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar unveiled a major government funding request alongside a sweeping update on the country’s economic recovery, job creation progress, and upcoming legislative priorities.

At the core of the administration’s immediate parliamentary business is a request for an additional TT$2.93 billion in supplementary funding for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. Of this total, $2.83 billion is earmarked as recurrent expenditure to cover newly negotiated wage increases for more than 62,000 public sector workers across multiple unions and government agencies. The Prime Minister detailed the breakdown of workers set to benefit: 18,000 from the Public Services Association (PSA), 20,000 from the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW), 15,000 teachers, 6,000 Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force members, 1,300 from the Amalgamated Workers Union, 900 contract workers, and 850 from the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT). Persad-Bissessar emphasized that the government has committed to securing the necessary funds to honor the wage agreements, noting she felt “very proud and humbled” to deliver long-awaited salary adjustments to tens of thousands of public employees.

The timeline for parliamentary consideration of the funding request is already set: the 2026 Finance Bill, which gives legal effect to measures outlined in the 2025/2026 national budget, will be tabled in the House of Representatives next Wednesday, June 10 at 10:30 a.m. The Standing Finance Committee will convene on June 12 at 1:30 p.m., followed by full debate on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill—dubbed the mid-year budget review—on June 15. The original 2025/2026 budget, presented by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo last October, projected total planned expenditure of $59.232 billion, based on benchmark prices of US$73.25 per barrel of oil and US$4.35 per mmbtu of natural gas. The budget projected total revenue of $55.367 billion, resulting in an initial projected fiscal deficit of $3.865 billion.

Beyond the wage funding request, Persad-Bissessar highlighted the current administration’s progress in reversing economic stagnation left by the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) government. She claimed the PNM’s 10-year term left the country in a precarious fiscal position, with national debt nearly doubling from $75.4 billion in 2015 to $144.7 billion in 2015. She added that economic output contracted by 20%, foreign exchange reserves were cut in half, and billions of dollars were withdrawn from the country’s national savings funds over the PNM’s tenure.

In contrast, the Prime Minister asserted that the current administration has turned the tide in just one year in office, pointing to both domestic economic gains and renewed international credibility. Domestically, official data from the Central Statistical Office shows 8,000 new jobs were created in the final quarter of 2025 alone, with youth unemployment dropping sharply from 12.2% to 7.7%. Between April 2025 and April 2026, the government delivered 14,080 new jobs across 18 cabinet ministries. Upcoming infrastructure and industrial projects are projected to add thousands more: proposed housing developments will create over 4,000 new positions, the first phase of the government’s Blueprint Revitalisation Plan will generate another 4,000 jobs, and a planned 500-acre expansion of the Plipdeco industrial estate at Point Lisas—paired with three upcoming projects (two in metals manufacturing, one in food production)—will expand employment in the industrial sector. The government is also advancing development of a 256-acre Special Economic Zone in Picton, near the University of the West Indies South Campus, dedicated to hosting data center operations.

On the international stage, Persad-Bissessar highlighted three key wins that signal restored confidence in Trinidad and Tobago’s economy and governance: the country’s recent election to a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank’s decision to open a permanent World Bank Group office in Port of Spain—one of the most significant votes of confidence in the country’s economy in recent decades—and the European Union’s decision to remove Trinidad and Tobago from its tax blacklist, a move that reaffirms the country’s status as a credible, responsible, and competitive investment destination. The administration also recently completed a successful US$1 billion sovereign bond issuance, which was oversubscribed 2.5 times by 140 global investors, demonstrating strong international demand for Trinidad and Tobago’s debt.

The Prime Minister also outlined the government’s ongoing support for vulnerable populations, noting that over the past year, more than 117,000 elderly citizens received $3.8 billion in public pensions, 25,602 people living with disabilities received $520.3 million in disability grants, 13,869 low-income vulnerable households received $216 million in direct financial support, 12,614 food-insecure citizens received $75.7 million in food assistance, and 2,808 people affected by disasters received support through 1,232 individual disaster relief grants.

For Tobago, Persad-Bissessar reminded lawmakers that the island received its largest-ever central government allocation in the 2025/2026 budget, totaling $3.724 billion, which accounts for 6.3% of the entire national budget. She added that the central government will partner with the Tobago House of Assembly to advance long-overdue legislative and administrative reforms, including fixing long-standing structural anomalies in the THA Act.

Looking ahead to the second session of Parliament, the Prime Minister laid out a broad legislative agenda that addresses a wide range of policy priorities. Key bills scheduled for debate include legislation to establish a dedicated medical malpractice court, implement a national no-fault compensation system, create regulatory frameworks for cannabis and advance agricultural diversification, amend the Education Act to modernize the country’s education system, develop a national Parental Responsibility framework to address school violence, raise the minimum age limit for legal consumption of marijuana and alcohol and for participation in gambling, enact a new Victims’ Rights Act, establish the position of Chancellor for the Judiciary, amend the Firearms Act to strengthen gun regulation, create legislation to regulate gated residential communities, implement new social media regulations to protect children under 12 years of age, and reform local government processes for construction and building approvals to cut red tape.

As she concluded her address, Persad-Bissessar struck an optimistic tone, updating a promise she made in April that “better days were coming.” “I now say, Mr Speaker, better days are here and they will continue to get brighter,” she said.

A sweeping new piece of fiscal and regulatory legislation that will reshape multiple sectors of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy and legal framework is set for parliamentary debate next week, after Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoco formally introduced the 2026 Finance Bill to the House of Representatives this week.

Spanning 31 clauses and requiring amendments to more than 30 existing laws, the bill integrates a diverse set of policy priorities aligned with the current government’s core goals, spanning tax reform, pension adjustments, energy sector investment stimulation, and a nationwide crackdown on regulatory and criminal non-compliance.

One of the bill’s most impactful tax reforms centers on retirement security for local residents: it proposes full elimination of income taxes on earnings generated by government-approved pension fund plans and deferred annuity plans. To support property owners and stimulate the rental market, the legislation also introduces a new tax credit for individuals and businesses subject to the Landlord Business Surcharge, allowing claimants to offset the full surcharge amount against their annual income tax obligation, up to their total tax liability.

To incentivize philanthropic giving, the bill also outlines new tax deduction rules for contributions to government-authorized public funds established under the Exchequer and Audit Act. Individual donors can claim deductions equal to up to 20% of their annual income or $20,000, whichever is lower, while corporate donors are eligible for deductions capped at 15% of chargeable profits or $100,000.

A key economic stimulus measure targets the country’s critical energy sector, designed to unlock new investment in underdeveloped marginal marine gas fields. Eligible fields — defined as offshore assets with total reserves of 300 billion cubic feet or less and an internal rate of return below 15% — will qualify for a reduced 8% royalty rate and a generous 130% enhanced capital allowance on qualifying capital expenditures spread over a five-year period.

The bill also delivers long-awaited pension reform for the country’s protective services, including prison officers, police officers and firefighters. Under the new provisions, retiring officers who served continuously in a higher-ranking position for at least one year before reaching compulsory retirement will have their final pensions and gratuities calculated based on the salary of that higher office.

Administrative modernization is another core focus of the legislation, with a series of reforms proposed for the Registrar General’s Department. These changes include expanding mandatory electronic filing of official documents, requiring standardized identification and supporting records for all submissions, and creating a new voluntary process for companies to apply to be struck off the corporate register.

In line with the government’s public commitment to reducing crime and strengthening regulatory enforcement, the bill includes sweeping increases to fines and criminal penalties across a wide range of offences, alongside targeted regulatory updates. A notable new provision adds a nationwide ban on the importation of any goods produced through forced labour, aligning local trade rules with global ethical standards.

Reforms to gaming and liquor regulations expand the maximum number of permitted amusement machines on certain licensed premises from 20 to 33, introduce a quarterly gaming tax structure, and raise penalties for regulatory breaches. A new offence for exceeding the permitted number of gaming machines carries a $25,000 fine, up to one year of imprisonment, and potential revocation of the premises’ liquor licence.

The steepest penalty increases are applied to tobacco-related offences under the Tobacco Control Act. First offences will now carry fines as high as $150,000, while serious offences tried in the High Court can result in fines up to $600,000 and three years of imprisonment. These enhanced sanctions apply to violations including selling tobacco products to minors, illegal public display of tobacco products, and other breaches of public health regulations.

Other notable penalty hikes include a $150,000 maximum fine for illegal timber removal under the Forests Act, a matching $150,000 fine for unlicensed sawmill operations under the Sawmills Act, and a $150,000 maximum fine for offences under the Conservation of Wild Life Act. Additional increases apply to violations across areas including animal health, shipping, motor launches, pesticide and toxic chemical regulation, and spirits manufacturing.

Trinidad and Tobago’s 2026 Finance Bill has sparked fierce political pushback, with opposition lawmakers warning that broad-based penalty increases across multiple industries and regulatory frameworks will impose new, burdensome costs on ordinary citizens, small business owners, and industry operators nationwide.

Speaking at a press briefing held Tuesday at the Red House (Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament building) in Port of Spain, opposition MP and former finance minister Colm Imbert publicly outlined details of the 31-clause bill, confirming that the opposition had received official advance notice of the legislative text. Imbert revealed that more than half of the bill’s provisions target existing penalties across a wide range of national laws, with hikes ranging from a 50 percent jump to a staggering 400 percent increase for select offenses.

One of the most controversial adjustments falls to minor, unprescribed offenses under the Motor Launches Act, the legislation governing small commercial vessels including local party boats. The baseline penalty for these unspecified violations is set to jump from TT$2,000 to TT$7,500 — a 275 percent increase that Imbert argues will punish small operators for trivial, accidental oversights.

“What is the basis for this extreme jump? How do you justify moving from $2,000 to $7,500 for an offense that isn’t even clearly defined?” Imbert questioned, noting the penalty hike directly contradicts the current administration’s earlier campaign pledges to reduce burdensome fines and regulatory penalties for citizens and businesses.

Beyond the Motor Launches Act, Imbert pointed to sweeping penalty increases across more than eight additional pieces of legislation, including the Gambling and Betting Act, Forest Act, Sawmills Act, Conservation of Wildlife Act, Animal Importation Act, Registration of Clubs Act, Pharmacy Board regulations, and the Pesticides Act. He emphasized that every proposed adjustment carries a minimum 50 percent penalty increase, calling the cumulative measure a deliberate pattern of punitive cost hikes that targets everyday Trinbagonians.

“This is what the government is doing right now: every week, it’s new fines, new increases, new costs, all to punish ordinary people,” Imbert said. “It was critical that we bring this to the public’s attention so people understand exactly what they’re facing.”

Imbert also doubled down on criticism of the administration’s troubled new Landlord Business Surcharge policy, arguing that repeated extensions to the mandatory landlord registration deadline are clear proof of the policy’s fundamental flaws and the government’s administrative incompetence.

When the policy was first introduced in December, Imbert predicted the government would be forced to extend the original registration deadline due to unworkable structural flaws. He has now correctly predicted two extensions — pushing the deadline from March 31 to May 30, then again to June 30 — and says a third extension is all but guaranteed.

The policy requires an estimated 100,000 landlords across the country to complete in-person registration and verification interviews with the Inland Revenue Division (IRD), after the agency eliminated the option for document drop-off submissions. Imbert warned that the IRD lacks the operational capacity to process such a large volume of applications in a reasonable timeline, creating massive administrative backlogs that will leave thousands of landlords in regulatory limbo.

“How on earth is the IRD supposed to process 100,000 in-person interviews and registration applications? There simply isn’t the staff or infrastructure to pull this off,” he said.

He also raised serious privacy and public safety concerns about the policy’s requirement for a public, searchable register of landlord and tenant information. Imbert argued that making this personal data publicly accessible constitutes a clear violation of privacy, and exposes property owners to elevated risks of kidnapping, fraud, and other violent and financial crimes.

“Every single piece of legislation this government brings to Parliament is sub-standard and poorly drafted,” Imbert said. “We flag the problems, they spend months revising it, and then they come back to fix the mess they created in the first place.”

More than four weeks after former Opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates formally submitted her resignation to Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, a successor has finally taken her seat on Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Senate bench. At the opening of Tuesday’s Senate sitting, attorney Dr. Margaret Satya Rose was officially sworn in as the new People’s National Movement (PNM) senator, capping a weeks-long period of political speculation over the vacancy.\n\nBeckles opened the new chapter by publicly acknowledging John-Bates’ past service to the party and the nation, while doubling down on the PNM’s controversial decision to keep another high-profile senator, Faris Al-Rawi, in his position. Speaking to reporters after the Senate adjourned at the Red House in Port of Spain, the Opposition Leader expressed full confidence in Rose’s capabilities, highlighting her deep specialized experience in public procurement as a major asset to the opposition bench.\n\nThe leadership shake-up traces back to a public controversy that erupted in April, when it was revealed that John-Bates, while sitting on the parliamentary Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), assisted former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh in editing a statement he was set to submit to the committee during an enquiry into public health pharmaceutical acquisitions. Al-Rawi was also linked to the preparation of the statement, though he noted he was serving as Deyalsingh’s personal attorney in the matter.\nGovernment senator David Nakhid subsequently referred both John-Bates and Al-Rawi to Parliament’s Privileges Committee for alleged rule violations. However, no investigation ever launched, as the procedural lapsed when the First Session of the 13th Republican Parliament dissolved on May 22. Even so, John-Bates was removed from her roles on the PAAC and the Joint Select Committee on National Security, and she submitted her Senate resignation on May 1.\nFor weeks following the resignation, Beckles faced mounting criticism from the governing party and scrutiny from political analysts over her refusal to immediately confirm John-Bates’ departure and name a replacement. Addressing that backlash on the day of Rose’s swearing-in, Beckles pushed back, arguing that the party needed time to handle the sensitive personnel matter through proper procedures. She emphasized that John-Bates is a young politician, and that mistakes do not need to spell the end of a public servant’s career, adding that the door remains open for her future political service. Responding to widespread calls for Al-Rawi to also step down, Beckles clarified that Al-Rawi was never a member of the PAAC, the committee where the controversy originated, justifying the decision to keep him in place.\n\nBeckles lavished praise on Rose, highlighting what she called the new senator’s “rich and outstanding record of professional achievement, public service and academic excellence.” She noted that Rose’s specialized expertise in governance, accountability and legislative scrutiny will meaningfully strengthen the Opposition’s work in the Senate. \”I am confident that she will serve the people of Trinidad and Tobago with distinction, integrity and commitment,\” Beckles said in her official welcome statement.\nRose is not only a practicing attorney but also an accomplished public policy researcher and educator, with globally recognized expertise in public procurement, governance, commercial law and anti-corruption frameworks. In an official release, the PNM described her as a respected leading professional whose career spans both the legal and public policy sectors. She holds a Doctor of Policy Research and Practice from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, and has previously advised national governments, public institutions, and major international organizations on procurement governance, regulatory compliance, and public sector reform. She has also served as counsel in multiple high-profile public commissions of enquiry and significant legal cases, including appearances before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the region’s highest appellate court.\n\nFor her part, John-Bates issued a measured statement following the swearing-in, thanking the PNM and Beckles for the chance to serve the nation. She extended well wishes to the Opposition Leader, saying, \”I wish [Beckles] strength and God’s guidance as she continues, in these difficult times, to defend our democracy and the rule of law.\” She also offered sincere congratulations to Rose on her new appointment.\nA civil lawyer by training, John-Bates said she has spent the past weeks reflecting deeply on the controversy and the core responsibilities that come with public office. \”I remain committed to serving the people of Trinidad and Tobago in any capacity that I am asked to by the Opposition Leader in the future,\” she said.\nBeckles echoed that collaborative tone in her official remarks, reaffirming her gratitude for John-Bates’ service over the past year. \”I wish to place on record my gratitude to former Senator Mrs Janelle John-Bates for her commitment and her contribution as an Opposition Senator over the past year. We will all continue to work together to restore good governance to Trinidad and Tobago,\” she said.