Crime, healthcare, infrastructure, and fuel prices were among the issues raised at the UNC’s most recent pre-Budget consultations.

Held last night at Preysal High School, the panel included MPs Rudranath Indarsingh, Ravi Ratiram, and Dr. Rishad Seecheran, as well as Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation Chairman Ryan Rampersad and Councillor Rajbal Maraj.

According to a statement from the UNC, an OWTU member asked that the price of fuel not be raised any further and questioned the drain on foreign exchange.

Additionally, a retired police officer spoke about crime and the importance of government action, while a doctor raised the matter of staffing shortages in hospitals, a lack of resources, and government spending within the health sector.

The UNC says Tabaquite farmers are also concerned about access roads for their gardens, with many also lamenting the general condition of roads in the area.