00:00Mayors and chairmen representing PNM-controlled corporations are sounding the alarm over allocations in the 2027 national budget.
00:08They claim the funding disparities could leave their corporations struggling to carry out critical development works and maintain services for
00:15residents.
00:16Mayor of Port of Spain, Chinua Allen, says the capital city has seen its development allocation plumped from nearly $20
00:23million in 2025 to just $2.6 million in the 2027 national budget.
00:30That is an almost 87% cut in our allocation for development in the city of Port of Spain.
00:39It means that for yet another year, the city of Port of Spain does not have enough allocation to do
00:45any developmental works.
00:47We have no money to pave any roads.
00:50We have no money to fix any drains.
00:53And we have no money to pay the contractors that we currently owe.
00:58Contractors that would have done work in Sealots, would have done work in Jon Jon, would have done work in
01:04Israel River.
01:05We have no funding available to pay any of those contractors because the government simply refuses to give to the
01:14people of Port of Spain an equitable share of the national pay.
01:18He also warns that garbage collection services could be negatively affected while the city continues to serve more than 200
01:27,000 people who enter Port of Spain daily.
01:30Digo Martin Mayor Kayla Glasgow Warner is also questioning the disparity between her corporations' allocation and that of the UNC
01:38-controlled Chegoners.
01:39She says Digo Martin, which she puts at approximately 150,000 residents across 10 districts, received $2.5 million for
01:48development works compared with $37 million for Chegoners.
01:53We represent families, communities, taxpayers.
01:58We represent citizens who depend on their local government corporation for essential services.
02:06And when the UNC cut funding in these corporations, they are not punishing the PNM.
02:12They are depriving the people of the services and development they rightfully deserve.
02:18Glasgow Warner says the reducted allocation will also limit the corporation's ability to address drainage problems and repair roads across
02:26its 10 districts.
02:28She says $400,000 allocated for drainage works amongst just $40,000 per district.
02:34That's well below the approximate cost of a single drainage project.
02:39How can the UNC justify that?
02:43What criterias were used?
02:45Were these allocations determined by population, infrastructure, needs, drainage requirements, roads, conditions?
02:55No.
02:56Meanwhile, Mayor of Port of Spain Chinua Allen says that if the situation does not change, he will join the
03:02unions in their planned march.
03:04The mayors and the chairmen are calling on the government to review the allocations and ensure that funding decisions are
03:10based on the needs of communities,
03:11rather than which political party controls a cooperation.
03:15They maintain that residents should not have to bear the consequences of political differences.
03:20Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
