Political parties make many promises on the campaign trail to convince the public that they are best suited to govern, as honey attracts more voters than the vinegar of reality.
Improved economic performance, jobs, better education, better health care, water for all, alleviation of all the social ills in the nation and improved crime fighting often top the list of promises.
Accountability and transparency are watchwords that are attached to these promises. However, all too soon, these promises fade upon assuming office.
This administration is confronting the realities of office. With dramatic symbolism and the loud applause of ministers present, the Prime Minister literally ripped up a physical copy of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) transformation plan during a post-Cabinet press conference on May 15, 2025. In recent months, WASA has been in the news not for improvements in its water supply but for its hiring practices.
Similarly, the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and the Public Services Association (PSA) officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement in December 2025, sealing a 10% wage increase for public sector workers across the Civil Service, Statutory Authorities and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) for the period 2014 to 2019. The expected cost in backpay was approximately $3.8 billion and an additional $240 million annually in recurrent expenditure.
These amounts were not included in the 2026 budgetary estimates agreed by Parliament.
Last week, the CPO confirmed the State’s inability to meet several of PSA's demands for payment of backpay and gave the PSA four weeks to respond to the Government’s final settlement offer, which comprises 40 per cent cash and 60 per cent non-cash benefits. We are unaware of what reaction this could provoke. Recent protests by teachers (TTUTA) and nurses (TTRNA) over payment delays have not been disruptive, but that could change.
Maxi taxi operators from four of the country’s five major maxi taxi routes have committed to a nationwide withdrawal of service on Monday, June 1st. This action arises after several months of unsuccessful talks with Ministry of Transport officials, which failed to produce concrete results on several longstanding issues affecting the sector.
Trinidad is still under a State of Emergency. Perhaps in response to these and other matters or to forestall any public demonstration, the Police Commissioner established 15 no-protest zones under an Emergency Powers Order on May 27th.
The Order prohibits public demonstrations within 500 metres of 15 key State institutions, including the Red House, the airports in Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Finance, the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office and all police stations across Trinidad and Tobago. The move is strategic; to deny potential demonstrators the visibility required to generate public awareness and support.
The wars in the Middle East have not yet affected T&T petrol prices at the pump and inflation remains low. But the country’s economic performance remains fragile, as economists have described.
These matters suggest that all is not well in the body politic and require an authoritative voice to provide clarity and assuage public expectations by demonstrating both transparency and accountability.
The Mid-Year budget review provides such an opportunity.
We all look forward to the Minister’s presentation and the Government’s plans for navigating the ship of state through these choppy waters.
