$10.7 M MORE FOR PRESIDENT’S HOUSE

PRESIDENT Christine Kangaloo is costing taxpayers more than her predecessor Paula Mae-Weekes.

The Government is allocating a further $10,797,000 to President’s House for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in September.

This is in addition to the $17,884,670, which was assigned at the start of the financial year.

Of the additional, funds, $2,197,000 would be spent on maintenance and repairs of President’s House.

That is a 955 per cent increase from the $230,000 that was originally budgeted for that purpose.

For hosting conferences, seminars and other functions, $2,700,000 is being allocated, to add to the $2,600,000 previously allotted.

A total of $1,500,000 has been set aside for the purchase of two replacement vehicles.

Overseas travel would cost taxpayers a further $450,000.

New monthly and daily-rated workers are being recruited, and this would cost $2,000,000 for the remainder of the financial year.

The sum of $800,000 is budgeted for “materials and supplies,” $100,000 for medical expenses, $500,000 for “other contracted services,” $350,000 for electricity, and $200,000 for telephone charges.

The increased funding to President’s House is included in the $3.8 billion mid-year supplementary budget which has been taken to Parliament for approval.

The increased budget would take the annual package to $61.4 billion, one of the largest in Trinidad and Tobago’s history.

Several ministries have been allocated increased funding, with the largest chunk, $692,975,753, going to the Ministry of Health, followed by $600,000,000 to the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.

The Ministry of Public Utilities is to receive an additional $508,000,000, the Ministry of Finance is being assigned a further $313,724,596, with $348,172,814, going to the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

The Ministry of Finance would have its budget bolstered by $313,724,596.