Three Main Areas Of Focus Coming Out Of Minority Pre-budget Stakeholder Consultation

Tobago’s development priorities took centre stage on yesterday evening, as the Office of the Minority Leader hosted a pre-budget stakeholder conversation at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort. Themed “Your Voice Matters!”, the forum brought together citizens and key stakeholders to influence the upcoming THA budget, which is due on 23 June 2025.Three main areas emerged from the dialogue. First, food security and sovereignty were passionately discussed, with one participant stating, “Who feeds you controls you,” urging urgent investment in local agriculture to combat rising food prices.Second, stakeholders called for a dual tourism strategy—balancing international and domestic markets. Increasing room capacity and improving occupancy rates through targeted promotions were highlighted as critical.Finally, there was broad consensus on prioritising Tobago’s human resource development, with calls for stronger education, training, and retention strategies.The Minority Leader’s office stated that these insights will directly inform people-centred budget advocacy, rooted in Tobago’s real and present needs.