Insufficient details to support $153 Million request

Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, is standing by the Budget Division’s choice to award the THA $50 million to cover the costs of the Gulfstream oil spill. The THA originally requested $153 million, making the allocation provided in the mid-year budget review only a third of the initial request. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine stated earlier this week that the $50 million would not be enough to satisfy the needs of contractors and other people, such as business owners and fishermen, who were negatively affected by the oil spill. However, Imbert insists that the Budget Division tried to get enough supporting documents and met with a team from the THA four times in April to determine what should be allocated.