An MP wants a national budget that addresses issues such as crime, the cost of living, healthcare accessibility and funding for education.

This week, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced that the country’s fiscal package will be presented on September 30th.

In response, Naparima MP Rodney Charles says government must move to engage in meaningful consultations with stakeholders and the public.

Furthermore, he believes that citizens are despondent and frustrated by what he calls convoluted bureaucracy and impotent legislation.

MP Charles warns that young people are now seeking to establish a paradise outside of T&T and taking with them their intelligence, innovation and integrity due to a denial of opportunities in T&T.

Also responding to the budget date, Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram notes that he has been advocating for a coast guard base in Central Trinidad for four years, to no avail.

He also believes that the PNM has squandered millions of dollars in agricultural stimulus packages, while farmers are struggling.