THA is preparing a request for supplemental funding as the mid-year budget review approaches
Scarborough, Tobago – February 21, 2024 – The cleanup expenses for the recent oil spill in Tobago are rapidly escalating, prompting calls for additional financial provisions. It had been two weeks since the Gulfstream vessel capsized near the Cove estate, releasing a diesel-like substance into the water and contaminating a significant 15 km stretch of Tobago’s coastline. This incident triggered a Tier 2 response, involving international agencies in the cleanup efforts.
However, until the party responsible for this environmental crisis is definitively determined, the financial burden of the cleanup falls upon the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the central government. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine anticipates that specific budget provisions will be included in the upcoming mid-year budget to address these rising expenses related to the Tobago oil spill cleanup. For more details, watch the coverage from reporter Kandace Jackson.
