Winston Dookeran

It is refreshing to note that our public agencies are making increasing use of the Internet as part of their public relations.  The key elements to me, as a citizen seeking to analyse public policy statements, are the performance data.  I am a firm believer that public policy should be supported by sound quantitative and qualitative data, if only to reduce the risk of 'policy by vaps'.  I wish to congratulate those public servants who implemented this positive action through their websites, and the Ministers who ensured it was funded (and those who ensure it continues to expand).

The Hon. Minister of Finance, Winston Dookeran, outlined government's plans for bailing out CLICO's short-term investment and mutual fund depositors during his Budget Statement of 08 Sep 2010.  The plan is basically as follows (page 10 of the Budget Statement):

Hon. Minister of Finance, Winston Dookeran, delivered the 2010-11 Budget Statement in Parliament today.  The Statement and related documents have been published on the Finance Ministry's website (kudos to the Ministry's staff for posting these online so quickly), and you may get them in PDF from the website's Publications section.

The Hon. Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Dookeran, has reportedly claimed that no deposits were made into T&T's Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) in 2009/2010.  The ex-Finance Minister, Mrs Karen Nunez-Tesheira, has responded that Mr Dookeran's allegation was wholly inaccurate, and made some other claims regarding the HSF during her tenure as Minister.  Both statements contain inaccuracies.

There has been plenty of talk regarding Anand Ramlogan's comments on Winston Dookeran as compared to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, where Mr. Ramlogan commented that Winston Dookeran and his lack of charisma and/or passion  would not bring change to Trinidad and Tobago - thus explaining his personal motive for switching from the Congress of the People (COP) to the United National Congress (UNC-A).