Senior Reporter
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has admitted that an error was made in the 2027 Budget allocation for the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA), while assuring that the authority will receive enough funding to meet its operational expenses.
The admission came during yesterday’s Standing Finance Committee review of the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) budget allocations, following sustained questioning from Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and Opposition MP Colm Imbert over the sharp reduction in funding for Tobago’s primary healthcare provider.
Tancoo acknowledged the mistake after Imbert queried why the TRHA had been allocated approximately $239.7 million for fiscal 2027, despite historically requiring about $700 million annually to operate.
“Was it an error?” Imbert asked.
“Yes,” Tancoo replied when pressed on whether the allocation resulted from a mistake by the Ministry of Finance.
The issue arose after Beckles highlighted that the TRHA had been allocated about $510.3 million less than in previous years and questioned the justification for the reduction.
“This seems to be an area where we would need to supplement later going forward,” Beckles said.
Tancoo initially explained that discussions had been held with the THA, which was expected to review its allocations and consider transferring funds between budgetary heads or seeking additional support from the Ministry of Finance.
However, Imbert challenged that approach, arguing that it would force the THA to divert resources from other critical programmes.
“So, you are saying, as a solution, the Tobago House of Assembly must take money that’s allocated elsewhere for important things,” Imbert said.
Tancoo maintained that the THA would first examine its existing allocations, noting that virements between budgetary heads and supplementary funding remained available options.
He later sought to reassure the committee that the TRHA would not be left without the resources needed to function.
Responding to a question from Opposition MP Marvin Gonzales on how long the authority could operate on the existing allocation, Tancoo said he was confident additional funding arrangements would cover its expenses.
“I am 100 per cent certain that the Tobago Regional Health Authority will have sufficient funds allocated to it between now and the mid-year review to cover all of its expenses,” he said.
Meanwhile, at an Opposition media conference on Thursday, Opposition Senator Melanie Roberts-Radgman had called for an urgent review of the budget, describing the reduction as a “major injustice” to Tobago.
Roberts-Radgman said the TRHA received $750 million in fiscal 2026 but had been allocated less than $240 million for fiscal 2027, representing a reduction of approximately $510 million, or 68 per cent.
She warned that the cut could place further strain on an already challenged healthcare system, citing ongoing issues at the Scarborough General Hospital, including air-conditioning problems, cancelled surgeries and concerns about ambulance services.
“For those who have been following what has been happening in Tobago, we already have a failing health system,” she said.
The senator also questioned whether patients could face reduced services and whether healthcare workers could be affected while the authority awaited additional funding.
“A discussion is not a guarantee,” Roberts-Radgman cautioned, arguing that waiting until the mid-year budget review for supplementary funding could jeopardise essential healthcare services.
She called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe to intervene and provide clarity on how the funding shortfall would be addressed.
