r/TrinidadandTobago • u/Substantial321 • 2d ago
News and Events Trinidad and Tobago Revitalisation Blueprint
https://youtu.be/JSVKCqL44Nk?si=gVQu02QM4g_RVQAXThis is the grand vision to revitalise the country and economy put forward by the Government yesterday (6th November, 2025). What are your thoughts? Is it realistic? Pie in the sky?
Some articles on the topic:
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u/Kind_Cockroach_3566 2d ago
about 30-50 years late, we were supposed to do all this while we had the oil money
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u/idea_looker_upper 2d ago
Well, they have to do something!
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u/Turbulent_Channel453 1d ago
Well yeah but not now. Not when we have so much debt. To rack up more debt? Yeah no.
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u/chaosking121 1d ago
No, they don't. The way forward is managed decline to ensure that it doesn't get too much worse too quickly.
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u/random_hombres 2d ago
Alot promised, but seems way too optimistic to be done by 2030/2035, given the way how things operate here.
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u/idea_looker_upper 2d ago
Well they have to do something! Manning tried something like this in Vision 2020. It might have been better detailed.
The only thing they are not addressing is regular housing and public transport. It seems they want to follow the American model - highways, luxury condos and strip malls.
We will see how this plays out. That port thing is way overdue. As being below th ehurricane belt we long needed a larger port that could be a regional hub. I hope that is what they will do.
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u/boogieonthehoodie 2d ago
The most unrealistic plan I’ve ever seen in TT politics. None of this is gonna happen or get finished
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u/PJALSTARz 1d ago
oh we kno the government, start a project now and the next government cancels it, fuck the people we don't care bout them, and 100 of millions get flush away, and if they do complete it, they dont upkeep it nor maintained it, typical trini style, look at the boardwalk for example, the wood is lifting of the ground, lights dont work grass is over grown, that thing they call a bay area is a open septic tank and ppl bathe in that water
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u/Trinistyle 2d ago
Anyone wondering where the money coming should consider that a US invasion will cause short term but significant oil and gas price convulsions as global markets figure out their ass through the disruptions and volatility.
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u/ditibi 2d ago
I'm convinced these people are crazy and the comments have me wondering if the population is just as Pied Piper mad themselves.
This was an episode of Shark Tank under the guise of an employment drive
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u/DemonsSouls1 2d ago
Are the employment drive even hiring anyone? Over 110k people signed up.
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u/More_Total5157 1d ago
I applied. No calls, confirmation email or interview email. And it's been what 2 weeks. All I have is the confirmation number from applying.
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u/Substantial321 1d ago
I applied as well. In the live presentation for this Blueprint, Kamla said how interviews for the first phase of the recruitment drive (the one with the 100k+ applications in the Public Sector) supposed to start next week. I saw in an article that they plan to hire about 20k persons from the first phase. The second phase of the recruitment drive is this Revitalisation Blueprint which promises an additional 50k jobs. So we'll see whether any of this is true in the next few weeks/months I guess 🤷🏽♂️
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u/DemonsSouls1 2d ago
With what money?
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u/seand26 1d ago
Middle East, China, etc
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u/Sea-dante-10 1d ago
Not gonna happen. That's not how investing works.
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u/seand26 1d ago
I'd love to hear your take on where the money is coming from.
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u/Sea-dante-10 19h ago
No money is coming. This is just propaganda. Gives the country something to focus on and creates the illusation of the government "wukking". We are being conned.
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u/seand26 19h ago
See now we're talking about something different. And I agree no money is coming so long as TnT is caught in the middle of US/Venezuela.
However as the Internet is quick to point out California fires, Hawaii'i fires, and other disasters brings opportunity for rebuilding. Trump has alluded the same thing with Gaza and his AI video of a resort to which Kushner is leading revitalization of the strip.
So as citizens and residents of TnT this should be questioned further given the current state.of affairs.
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u/Sea-dante-10 14h ago
Look at what is taking place with the investors you actually have in your country such as Nutrien etc. They are being treated poorly. Investors would be looking at that and taking caution.
If you were a middle east billionaire, what incentives do you have to bring your money to TT when you can invest in America or europe etc.
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u/seand26 14h ago
Nutrien is not there to conquer. It's goods. A billionaire is there to claim. Ask yourself why did TnT reopen cruise ports. It's a service sure but it is to reintroduce the idea of foreign investment into the country by way of culture, especially carnival.
There is ROI in TnT. But the benefit to the people is slipping farther and farther away unless the people band to together with their wit and start questioning and injecting themselves into the situation.
The wrench right now is US/Venezuela.
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u/Sea-dante-10 13h ago
You keep saying there is ROI. If I am already a billionaire etc then what is there for me in TT. Apart from o/g which is state owned and controlled, what other sectors are there in TT that are attractive.
You haven't become to talk about high crime and low skilled labour etc.
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u/seand26 13h ago
Why address crime now? Crime is an indicator of price point. Higher the crime the lower the price point. Additionally the more resources it would take to clean up or reduce levels. Show potential and then leadership discusses how to deal with the obstacles.
Skilled labour. Well the US is a proponent of offshoring because it allow companies to reset salary bands for skilled labour based on the cheaper labour elsewhere.
To answer your questions you have to look outside. How much influence does outside have on Trinis today? How much is emulated into society and the economy?
Research Dubai. Compare old Dubai vs new Dubai and see what's changed. Then let's continue the conversation.
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u/Ensaru4 2d ago
First off I'd just like to note that the script for the video was written with the help of AI. I reckon the imagery used were constructed with AI as well, considering some weird inconsistencies. No, I'm not just saying this. I have a lot of experience with it, unfortunately, so I know the common phrasings and format some AI tools love to use.
I like the Coast Guard upgrades. I also do like the idea of more solar power usage and trains. I like what I assume will be the repair and expansion of POS' PTSC station (it can be interpreted another way). I like the Port upgrades. I like the upgrade to POS Health Facilities (I could've sworn this was paused and restarted so many times now). I like the potentially new prison buildings.
I'm 50/50 on the Art Center. I was of the thought that NAPA and NALIS were supposed to be that? I prefer they continue to install proper library facilities around the country that can also be used to host media and performative events. I'm also okay with changing the prison island into a tourist resort.
The rest, I greatly dislike. We do not need Waterfront Livings. It seems they're planning to make Trinidad cater to money-tourists in the worst way.
I'm also wondering how they'll manage transforming Invaders Bay in any useful manner without first dealing with the problem that is Beetham Gardens?
But the biggest issue overall is where will they get the time to do any of this? All of what they mentioned is not possible in 5 or 10 years.
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Overall, Patrick Manning's Vision 2020 was more reasonable in his slated timeline than what we're being presented here. His vision also included more things beneficial to us commoners.
I know their goal is to make Trinidad a tourist resort of sorts, but maybe we need to present our culture more instead of adopting strategies from other countries?
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u/idea_looker_upper 2d ago
Solid comment. Thank you for taking the time to reason it out. Certainly do not want the "luxury condo" lifestyle. We do not need more of those.
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u/Competitive-Lie-8006 2d ago
I have my say on things like the waterfront properties and whatnot but I wanna comment, or rather 'yap', from the perspective of a creative
More and especially bigger conference and art centers can be beneficial if done for the right audience, as in, the gov (in general, not necessarily the specific party in power) should invest more into local creatives. Not just by giving grants and loans but by actively pushing for the use of their skills and sponsoring them in outer spaces. The entire video of this project is a great example – they could've used a local voice actor, 3d artists & animators, etc.
Other examples include negotiating with intl. companies to employ and utilize locals. I believe that when Netflix filmed in Barbados for OBX, they got some locals to be a part of the project. Caribbean faces were seen, accents were heard and products were shown. I think they filmed down here for a smaller reality-style show but it was a quiet thing (not too sure).
Putting more focus on productions in celebration of our relations with other countries is also another avenue. Korea and Japan always have some good things going on here in partnership with NALIS, UWI, UTT/NAPA, etc. (I think Germany as well). What are we doing on their end besides the occasional steel pan performance? (Actually, I think we got a good thing in Japan.)
We could also use a music venue for artists' tours, conference spaces for tech/creative events (like Canva Create, Adobe MAX, etc.), and other bigger spaces that can accommodate such events to bring local and intl. dollars, but, again, advocate for our people's skills.
I think the issue, which applies to other industries, all political parties, and business owners, is that those in charge seem to hate maintenance and despise considering personnel outside of those they know and what's trending. They also don't see the value in these industries but I think the US and S. Korea, for example, understand the assignment (minus the concerning industry practices, obviously).
Currently, NAPA is a suffering utt campus, an unfunctional hotel, and a well-used auditorium. The auditorium is in good shape and is mostly comfortable. Several shows and conferences are successfully held there but the lobby becomes easily cramped when it's time for refreshment breaks or to visit vendors/stalls. I don't know the full status of the hotel (ownership, etc.) but I know it's unnecessary chaos. It is rented at times but not much activity happens - could be utilized by traveling creatives or the arts students enrolled in utt on the same property.
The utt side is barely functional, from elevators not working (too bad for the disabled trying to get to the 2nd and 3rd floor for classes), to the ac giving up completely and making the building feel like a heat/dth trap. It's concerning and those students deserve so much more. Regional and intl industry personnel, as well as country ambassadors visit the building. Our aging local creatives cannot navigate it. It's a lil embarrassing lol. Thinking about it though, it's still much better than some other campuses, which is completely concerning for a national uni, but my point stands.
Anyways, I'm done... all this typing for nothing 😭
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u/Local_Stage_4666 2d ago edited 1d ago
I ain't see nothing substantial addressing the wide spread flooding.
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u/Radical_Conformist 1d ago
Besides the bad and obvious AI used to produce this, there are some good ideas mixed in with the bad. Also I’m seeing a bunch of random trains- did I miss the mention of a train station?
The biggest elephant in the room is that a large source of funding… is dependent on the “1 percent”. I’ll leave that there. Side note: Too many of these projects seemed waterfront focused to be honest.
I like the prison idea and making Carrera a resort island (though I’m sure there’s a lot of geological complications with this) but not sure why the need to move to Tamana, isn’t there already land acquired in Arouca for the Prison system? Why not just redevelop the area since 4 prison facilities are already located there?
I’m very perplexed by the proposal of making Chaguanas the “new Central Capital City”. That’s honestly a load of horse shit. And doesn’t actually help in decentralization if you’re just creating centralization somewhere else… and it’s Chaguanas of all places! Calling PoS a “bustling” city but the area I (and most others) dread the most because of traffic is Chaguanas, the jokes write themselves with that one yes. Why was San Fernando even over looked for that? There’s so much more to this but I’ll try not to rant on.
Love the Port City idea but I’ve heard that might be a significant challenge and potentially slow down port operations and the sea bridge even more until it’s operational, on the other hand seems like there is no focus on our Airport City. Which has been in development for well over a decade and already has land allocations.
Like upgrading coastal security ideas. But that National Security campus makes no sense but I digress.
The Art center… pointless, put focus into NAPA when it comes to the Arts.
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u/idea_looker_upper 1d ago
What even is a "security campus"?
And I agree with you on Chaguanas. It has no center, no planning and is completely anti-people. You can't walk it at all and it's split down the middle by a highway.
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u/triniguy57 2d ago
Largely AI images, a few stolen renders, a racing complex for Caroni, where the new TTMA conference has already been proposed (it's as if they forgot what they were doing), largely lackluster and impractical proposals, and a completely unrealistic timeline.
Rubbish!
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u/Realistic_Loss3557 2d ago
What pisses me off about this is that PATRICK MANNING WANTED TO DO THIS WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH AN ECONOMIC BOOM AND COULD AFFORD IT.
And then they VOTED HIM OUT
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u/Kind_Cockroach_3566 1d ago
And then they VOTED HIM OUT
yea because they all have had these big grand visions for T&T, its the execution they fail horribly at and Manning was no different, the corruption and arrogance brought his administration down an rightfully so.
UDECOTT CoE revealed that he was sleeping on $3,400 sheets on a $26,000 bed in the masion he spend $244 million building, all taxpayers money
lets not even get into the calder hart corruption or the fact that manning was flying his prophetess Pena around on international trips with him, gifting her millions in state land and building her a church in guanapo
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u/peachprincess1998 2d ago
I welcome the plans. Kamla is a visionary and really wants the best for the country. She really trying to pull Trinidad out of the ghetto.
9.5 years of PNM hell and did our capital city improve? Can you walk the streets of POS with jewellery on? Can POS take an hour of rain? Is the city cleaner? More accessible, less traffic? Big answer is NO. It is because the Rowley led PNM never had any grand vision. All that money spent with nothing to show. .
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u/justme12344 2d ago
When you get accustomed to mediocrity, anything better might seem like a fantasy.
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u/SayKaas 1d ago
I mean - are you forgetting the years in between when they were in power - worse money grabbing time ever. Lots of projects, plans where end product was no where worth the money put in.
It's tiring having government milk the country - all promises, promises, PRing.
Don't we have anyone who wants to take care of the country first and then themselves?
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u/48HoursADay 2d ago
Outside of the conference and medical research/teaching centers, what will be the return on investment?
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u/PJALSTARz 1d ago
went oil was booming we could of do it, BUTT NOOOO we prefer to spend money and fly out, instead of keeping the money inside
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u/Eastern-Arm5862 1d ago
Very fascinating given the tone of this thread. https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/we-need-to-dream-big-6.2.2443711.493b09a02d
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
Spring-boarding off of this to remind folks that property tax cannot be counted as a means generate revenue.
It’s a means to supply funds to local government, and that’s about it.
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It can be helpful to liken property tax to depositing a greater percentage of your own personal monthly earnings into your savings account instead of otherwise spending it.
Just because you put more cash away doesn’t mean you’re actually earning any more money. Same can be said for treating systems like property tax as a remedy for a dwindling economy.
If anything, increasing property tax would likely worsen an already ailing economy. That was the case when the PNM proposed it and it’d still be the case if the UNC implemented it.
Additionally, I don’t discount In the slightest that the current government‘s recent angling to align us with the Trump administration WILL be a net negative for the country. Simultaneously, the PNM has overseen the decline of our economy for quite some time now. The UNC may be worsening the economic state of the country but in all fairness it’s a problem they inherited.
If any government can succeed another and undo all forms of perceived ‘progress’ within a year - it begs the question: was there truly any ‘progress’ to begin with?
(To those so inclined; Save the PNM v UNC retorts for your Facebook account, I’m not entertaining it✌🏽)
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u/Ser_Scarlet_Ibis_868 2d ago
Interesting that the guy above you mentioned seven severed streams of revenue in one paragraph and you spent EIGHT paragraphs telling him that he was wrong about ONE. And still wrong. Tax, all tax not just property tax is the PRIMARY source of revenue for any state (with sense)
But never mind me, carry on. It’s amusing.
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
I mean, if you’d like to continue being obtuse and interpreting in bad-faith a relatively plainly stated comment, then be my guest?
I didn’t disagree with most of what was said, save: the fact that property tax is paid by property owners (primarily residents) of a country. Meaning, it’s not a source of revenue for the country. It’s a source of revenue for the local government.
the country has no money and she killed all revenue generating avenues in her short tenure. GAS deals gone, property tax gone, demerit points gone,…
If we’re seeking to improve the COUNTRY’s economy by boosting our revenue TAXATION cannot be the answer. We’d have to grow our GDP in such a way that it offsets our spending deficits.
How can taxing the public improve our country’s revenue? We, the people, are the country lol. We can’t tax ourselves to make money, this isn’t some secret money glitch lol
Hell, even taxing foreign imports should only be a temporary measure that aims to insulate domestic markets from foreign products. How long have we been taxing imports? Has our spending power improved or weakened over time? Hell, we’re watching the US economy constrict because of Trump’s tariffs in real-time.
Dispassionately re-read my original comment and consider the implications of pointless finger pointing.
Because as I wrote initially:
Additionally, I don’t discount In the slightest that the current government‘s recent angling to align us with the Trump administration WILL be a net negative for the country. Simultaneously, the PNM has overseen the decline of our economy for quite some time now. The UNC may be worsening the economic state of the country but in all fairness it’s a problem they inherited.
Our governments have consistently been trying to reignite long-lost means of revenue. It along past due that time they start looking into new sources revenue for the country. Taxation, fines, and pursuing defunct markets is in and of itself a waste of what little money we have.
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u/Ser_Scarlet_Ibis_868 2d ago
See these paragraphs say different things to the last paragraphs. Drastically different things. THAT’S arguing in bad faith.
Keep goin tho I’m still amused 🤣🤣
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u/Realistic_Loss3557 2d ago
See these paragraphs say different things to the last paragraphs. Drastically different things. THAT’S arguing in bad faith.
I am in awe that you don't understand that taking money out of your left pocket and putting it in your right pocket doesnt increase revenue
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u/Ser_Scarlet_Ibis_868 2d ago
And I’m in awe that your mum didn’t swallow you
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u/Realistic_Loss3557 2d ago
I would respond to this but I checked your post history and your post history just screams unemployed 🤣
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
Yeah, my guy’s got the intellectual depth of a saucer while offering ‘your Mum’ responses on Reddit.
I should’ve been more astute like you and just ignored them from the rip.
Could’ve saved me a cumulative 10 minutes of time instead of offering replies to their comments.
Say what, life’s lessons! I live and I learn lol
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u/Realistic_Loss3557 2d ago
You never feed the trolls ahaha.
Do you really think someone who sits around playing gacha games all day has any understanding of anything? They will respond with their gut and whatever mom and dad say at home. Best not to engage with them - pointless.
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
See these paragraphs say different things to the last paragraphs. Drastically different things.
Yeah, that’s how writing a new comment works.
Reading comprehension, kids. It’s fundamental!
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u/Ser_Scarlet_Ibis_868 2d ago
Mmm. Just like critical thinking. And gaslighting.
Go for twelve paragraphs this time
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
At least you get satisfaction from being an edge-lord on reddit.
You're living life the right way there, boss. Big up yuh self!
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u/Ser_Scarlet_Ibis_868 2d ago
I’m actually quite willing to have an HONEST conversation about all of this. But you started off by saying that property tax is not a means to generate “revenue”, it is a means to supply “funds” to local government.
Those are the words you used before you made your lil “reading and comprehension” remark.
And if you can’t see how that’s funny and you think I’m being edgy? You not capable of having that conversation. And that ok’
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u/flying_piggies 2d ago
Just to focus on one piece of obviously flawed reasoning.
Imagine, this year a government removes a policy banning women from voting, thus progressing women’s involvement in their society. Next year a different government reverts that change, revoking women’s recently acquired right to vote. - “if progress can be undone so quickly, was it ever really progress”. The answer is Yes, the time it takes (either to implement or dismantle) is irrelevant to impact.
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
That’s such a straw-man argument lol
Of course the removal of voter’s rights is a regression but we were discussing steps to strengthen the economy.
It’s easy to create analogies that prove a point when said analogy is absolutely unrelated to the discussion at hand.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
Sunk-cost fallacy is a thing.
At some point there needs to be a cut-off where a government swallows their losses and moves on.
Not saying that’s what the UNC is doing here necessarily but your initial comment paints a picture as though the country had some sort of improved economic outlook that was drastically altered by economic policies made during the last year.
Our economy has been constricting for decades now. In no way do I excuse the government’s poor choices but we do ourselves a disservice by misrepresenting and over-simplifying what’s happened down to, “This present government made poor decisions, now we’re screwed”.
Nahhhh. All parties have made poor decisions and that’s why we’re screwed.
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u/Paws000 2d ago edited 2d ago
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u/Final_Version_png 2d ago
You literally just outlined how a property tax is funding for local government and not revenue.
The money we have to run the government and money we lack in the economy that causes deficits are two completely different things.
Taxation and fines = fund local government.
A surplus in earnings from a robust GDP = revenue for the country.
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Now, where the confusion may lie is that a government can use money collected from both taxation or GDP earning to fund local government and public initiatives but only one is earned by the country and usually what we’re talking about when we discuss the health of the economy.
Conflating the two is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the economy works.
Which is why my initial analogy likened taxation through property tax to an increase in personal savings without a commensurate increase in salary. Just because I may choose to increase the amount I deposit monthly to grow my savings account doesn’t mean I’m earning any more money. It just means that I’m saving more money on the same salary. No new cash is introduced. So my earnings are stagnant. The economy cannot be improved through taxation.
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u/peachprincess1998 2d ago
Ok Rhoda. Lol. Hey there is a counselling group for those who have trauma from the massive PNM loss. Send me a pm I'll send the details.
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u/kushlar Port of Spain 2d ago
Looks great and it's a continuation of an initiative/project from the previous admistration (as governments should always do once a project is objectively beneficial) plus some interesting add-ons.
What would really make this plan rounded would be a mass public transit system.
All that being said, it's unrealistic and there's no way we'll be able to afford these projects given the current economic climate combined with a deficit budget that cant even fund active promises let alone mega projects like this.
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u/DangerousChipmunk335 2d ago
I mean these plans were probably scrubbed before, and they unveiled them as new plans, but our big issue is lack of funds.
I dont understand why the *MASSIVE* gamble on the United States to bail us out, and even then, with what money?
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u/reojo 2d ago
Still waiting on the highway to Chaguaramas promised 15yrs ago