Kelvin Charles has been an activist for the People’s National Movement (PNM) for almost four decades. On January 23, he will know his political fate.
Charles is one of four political leaders vying to become Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). In the 2013 election, the PNM won all 12 seats.
He has served as presiding officer of the THA from January 2013 to March 2016 and was elected to represent Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden.
The Sunday Guardian interviewed Charles last week about his plans for Tobago. Here’s what he had to say:
SG: What will you do to develop Tobago and improve its contribution to national GDP?
KC: In his bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey proposes that we start with the end in mind. As such, I would want to see as my legacy, a Tobago that is sound, technology driven, stable and resilient; a Tobago that evolves and advances from a platform of imagination, creativity, innovation, productivity and integrity in public affairs; a Tobago which strides confidently towards excellence holding aloft an economy that emphasises tourism, agriculture, light manufacturing and services; and one that is supported by a reformed public service, a dynamic health sector, a robust education system and an efficient internal security system.
To achieve this, I am proposing a development model that is community-driven and productivity-focused. This has been coined as the Tobago CAN—Community Action Networks model. Within each community, a network which includes the CBOs, FBOs, NGOs, village councils and sporting organisations will be formed with the intention of collaborating with the area representative to identify and prioritise the needs of each community. Once this is done, skills and resources from within the community will then be mobilised to address these needs.
SG: What are three of the main challenges facing Tobago/Tobagonians?
KC: 1. Transportation;
2. Autonomy; and
3. Growing the private sector productivity/service.
SG: What is at the top of the agenda for Kelvin Charles, if elected?
KC: The top focus is the realisation of the ultimate goal of internal self-governance for Tobago. This is a burning issue for many Tobagonians as we claim the inalienable right to self-determination. Defining the very boundaries of the Tobago space, within the context of a twin island republic, as we move towards truly quantifying Tobago’s contribution to the national GDP in primary economic sectors is of major importance. The ability to make and enforce legislature specific to the Tobago situation is critical. We look towards a Tobago House of Assembly Policing Unit that is focused on ensuring a level of comfort and security that all residents and visitors to the island can enjoy.
Firstly, the operations of PTSC in Tobago will be moved under the Tobago House of Assembly as an expanded, modern and suitable fleet is put into operation in the island. The fleet of buses will be expanded in the first instance by a minimum of 25 buses.
Similar to the operations of PTSC, we will move to a situation where the management of the operations of the Inter-Island Ferry will be moved under the remit of the Tobago House of Assembly. This will allow for an operation that is increasingly focused on staying in tune with the express needs of Tobagonians.
An improved inter-island transportation, along with improved incentives for the entrepreneurial development should serve to re-energise the private sector. To this end, the grants provided by the Business Development Unit will be increased from $25,000 to $50,000, while the loan ceiling will be increased from $250,000 to $500,000. These incentives coupled with a stable and encouraging investment environment that feeds from stable and innovative leadership should see that the private sector plays a more pivotal role in the development of our island moving forward.