Tancoo, Manning clash over query about 10% hike

Opposition MP Brian Manning -

FINANCE Minister Davendranath Tancoo and San Fernando East MP Brian Manning argued over government's promise in the 2025/2026 budget to give public servants a ten per cent wage increase.

Their argument took place during a meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on October 21 as it examined a budgetary allocation of $6,012,215,208 for the Social Development Ministry.

Manning, a former minister in the ministry of finance in the former PNM administration, asked Tancoo if there was any allocation in the budget to handle the promised ten per cent wage increase.

He also asked Tancoo if government expected negotiations for this increase would be completed before the end of the current fiscal year.

"It's a simple question," he said.

Tancoo said, "This has been asked and answered very, very clearly already."

He added, "There are no negotiations now. We are dealing with figures in front of you."

Government MPs thumped their desks as Tancoo advised Manning, "Please focus on the figures that are in front of you instead of going off on your flights of fancy."

Manning objected to Tancoo's statement.

"With all due respect...this is a budget..."

Speaker Jagdeo Singh intervened to advise Manning., "That (questions) has been answered."

Manning maintained his question had not been answered.

He said, "This is a budget exercise.."

Singh replied, "I hear you on that and that has been asked..."

He advised Manning that both could not be speaking at the same time.

Singh repeated that Manning's question had been answered and invited Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland to ask a question..

Manning said he did not hear the answer and asked Singh for the answer to be repeated

Singh replied, 'What I would advise you do to would be to go back and read the Hansard."

Manning repeated his position that no one heard the answer.

Singh also repeated his statement about getting the answer from Hansard.

"We are not going to go down this road."

Tancoo claimed opposition MPs were seeking to create headlines.

Manning said he was "anxious to hold the government to account."

Tancoo replied, 'This is one government that will account."

He advised opposition MPs to pay attention and they may learn something.

Tancoo said government does not have any plan to increase National Insurance System (NIS) by 45 per cent as claimed by the PNM.

In his budget presentation in the House on October 13, Tancoo said government was proposing a three per cent increase in the NIS contribution rate effective January 5, 2026, followed by another three per cent increase from January 4, 2027.

"These adjustments mean that the retirement age for a full NIS pension will move from 60 to 65 over the next decade."

Later during the meeting, Diego Martin North/East MP Colm Imbert claimed the allocations for certain divisions in the ministry did not cater for the proposed NIS increases.

At the start of the meeting, Singh said the committee will meet for the mandatory five days it is allotted under the House's standing orders to deliberate on the budget. He added the next meetings will take place from October 22-25, all starting at 10 am.

Should this schedule be kept, the House should pass the budget on October 25 and the Senate should start its budget debate on October 27. Leader of Government Business Barry Padarath previously expressed optimism Parliament could complete the budget debate before October 31 to give the President ample time to assent to the budget before that date,