THE EDITOR: It is rather disturbing that the Minister of Finance is presently scrutinising the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health with special reference to the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP). The minister is seeking to reduce the monies spent on the CDAP initiative.

There are several expenditures which are a total waste of funds but the goodly minister looks to attack the one allocation that really seeks to assist the general public (or a large sector of the population) who are suffering from chronic illnesses and cannot afford the medication. This leads to many people just not taking the necessary medication, leading to even more serious complications, such as loss of eyesight, loss of limbs, kidney failure, etc.

So what does this lead to? It leads to much higher costs to the Ministry of Health for surgeries to save eyesight, loss of limbs, dialysis and kidney transplants, etc. So, where is the sense in the Minister of Finance's thinking that CDAP should be cut down or even aborted?

There are other areas which are very vexing to the general public, such as huge sums paid to already enriched friends and family for rent of property occupied by government offices, dozens of commissions of enquiry (CoEs), investigations and enquiries which cost the taxpayers millions of dollars with no results – or results are hidden because of "security reasons."

Case in point is the CoE into the Paria tragedy where a report was made with comprehensive recommendations by the chairman but it has all been shelved after millions were spent on it.

The Attorney General is now seeking an additional $165 million to pay local and overseas lawyers, and this does nothing for the average man on the street or the wider population. Why is he refusing to give further information on his request? Is there some hidden agenda here?

It is my opinion that the hard-earned taxes paid by the citizens of TT should be spent on the people of this country for health, education and security, rather than frittering it away on matters which have no positive effect on citizens. The CDAP initiative must be left alone.

WKS HOSEIN

Chaguanas

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