Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo says investors are keen on opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago.
Closing the debate on the Mid-Year Budget Review early on Tuesday morning, he defended the government’s economic record over the past year, insisting Trinidad and Tobago is on the rise despite criticism from the opposition.
“And I really have to speak to my Director of Budgets to find out if he could find enough money to give both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Energy sufficient funding to buy a stronger door because investors across the world are knocking and beating down on the doors of Trinidad and Tobago. They want to invest in this country. They’re breaking down the doors. They want to invest in Trinidad and Tobago, but those people on the other side, the most unpatriotic bunch of individuals I’ve ever seen in my life, Mr Speaker, all they want to see is this country fail.”
Minister Tancoo also defended increased spending on wages and arrears.
“We are spending, Mr Speaker, a substantial amount of money to pay arrears and to pay increased salaries that they refuse to put in place. The members opposite. I want members of the national public to know that, thank God, they chose this government because if they had chosen that government, increases in salaries, they would have never seen that. Wage settlement or wage negotiation, they would’ve never seen that.”
He also moved to shut down claims from MP Stuart Young that the Government is planning to sell State assets.
“But he chose mischief outside. He creates a fabrication. He talks about Trafigura. We’re selling assets to Trafigura. Selling assets to Trafigura. Mr Speaker, that is so blatantly untrue. But you know, he knew that.”
The Finance Minister further criticised the opposition for what he described as exaggerating economic problems and promoting fear during the debate.
“All we heard from these members on the opposite side is doom and gloom. That’s all that they will ever… Mr Speaker, according to them, the budget’s so bad. The budget is horrendous. We misled people. The budget is bad. The sky is falling. All of my colleagues talked about it. For them, like Chicken Little running all over the place. ‘Boy, the sky is falling. The sky is falling. The sky is falling.'”
The Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial Year 2026) Bill was eventually passed in the Lower House just after 12:30am on Tuesday, with 28 votes in favour, 11 against and no abstentions.