PNM: Budget betrays people’s trust

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and members of the opposition in Parliament in September. - File photo by Faith Ayoung

THE PNM says it voted against the budget because it represents a betrayal of the people’s trust and a continuation of the UNC government's deliberate campaign of deception. It outlined 16 reasons why it opposed the budget.

The 2025/2026 national budget was passed on October 25 in the House of Representatives after five days under the Standing Finance Committee. The 12-member Opposition voted against the budget, drawing condemnation from the Prime Minister in a statement later that day. She said,

“The PNM has betrayed the people once again. I condemn in the strongest terms the shameful conduct of the Opposition PNM, who once again stood against the people of Trinidad and Tobago by voting against the Appropriation (Financial Year 2026) Bill, 2025 – the people’s budget.”

In a on October 26, the PNM said the budget was not a “people’s budget” as claimed by the government, but a tax-and-suffer budget that punished the poor, squeezed the middle class, burdened small businesses and protected the wealthy and politically connected.

The PNM said measures which would increase cost of living included the landlord tax, which it said would increase the cost of renting a home for ordinary citizens and deprive local-government authorities of much-needed funding; the electricity rate increase; the NIS contribution hike, which it said would reduce disposable income and raise the cost of doing business; and the tax on single-use plastics which would further increase the cost of goods and services across the economy.

The opposition said the broken housing promise, the $45 million cut in the on-the-job training programme, the school supplies and book-grant removal and the non-provision for the ten per cent provision for public officers showed the promises made in the budget statement were not backed by money or intent.

“The government has misled public servants by suggesting a ten per cent increase when there is no money allocated to pay it. Even if negotiations conclude this year, public servants cannot expect any increase before the mid-year review in 2026.”

The PNM said the government’s so-called “National Recruitment Drive" was “nothing but a publicity stunt...

“Thousands of existing jobs have been re-advertised, including positions that already have substantive or acting incumbents. There is no funding in ministries to pay additional staff, and the Employment Fund does not have enough money to hire 20,000 people. Thousands of Cepep, URP and Forestry workers do not qualify for these posts. Position exchange is not job creation. Job interviews are not employment.”

It said the government had abandoned Cepep, URP and Forestry Workers.

“Tens of thousands of citizens were dismissed within weeks of the UNC taking office, yet this budget contains no policy or funding for their reinstatement or relief.”

It said the government failed to address the shortage of foreign exchange that continued to cripple citizens and businesses.

The opposition said the budget contained over-inflated revenue projections and gross under-budgeting, with deliberate manipulation of expenditure figures across ministries and state agencies.

PNM: True fiscal deficit being hidden

“Ministers repeatedly failed to justify their allocations, often admitting they would return at mid-year for more funding. This strategy is intended to conceal the true size of the fiscal deficit.

“When the under-budgeting and unallocated costs are accounted for, the true national deficit is staggering. After increasing the budget deficit to $9.67 billion at the mid-year review, the UNC is now attempting to disguise the impact by slashing legitimate expenditure on salaries, allowances, development projects and debt payments, while increasing spending on advertising, overseas travel, personal staff and funding for UNC- controlled regions.”

The PNM said the budget revealed the UNC government's vindictive approach to governance.

“Allocations to corporations represented by the PNM were slashed, while those led by UNC representatives received large increases. PNM corporations now face severe shortfalls in funding to collect garbage, repair roads and drains, maintain community spaces, hire workers and deliver essential services.

“At the same time, critical water projects have been cancelled, and the construction of sporting and community facilities in areas represented by the PNM has been halted, punishing citizens simply because of where they live or whom they voted for. This is not governance; it is political victimisation.”

The opposition said the Prime Minister’s claims of transparency and accountability during the Standing Finances Committee were deceptive.

“She does not preside over those sessions and attended for only five minutes out of the first forty hours. It was only after being flushed out by the opposition and public scrutiny that she appeared briefly on the fifth day for a short public relations cameo.

“This government continues to impose taxes and rate hikes that make life harder for working families while hiding the truth about the nation's finances. Its budget is not a roadmap for development but a political document designed to mislead the population and mask incompetence behind public relations.”

The Opposition said it remained steadfast in its commitment to defend the citizens of TT from the UNC government's “reckless economic mismanagement and to expose every act of deception, manipulation and incompetence that undermines our nation's stability and prosperity.”