OROPOUCHE West MP Davendranath Tancoo has said, "I expect that the Minister of Finance in this, his tenth budget, will do exactly the same as he has done in the last nine.

Firstly, he expected the minister, Colm Imbert, to gaslight citizens, hoping to get them to believe they are doing well and the country's economy has stabilised again.

Secondly, Tancoo said, "Given that it is an election year, expect a lot of promises which he has no intention of keeping."

He alleged that broken budget promises have become a hallmark of Imbert.

"With billions unaccounted for to date, and billions more in secret contracts, citizens already know that what the minister and his PNM regime have not done in the last nine years, after wasting half a trillion dollars, it will not be done in this their last year.

"I expect lie, mamaguy and blame."

Tancoo said for Trinidad and Tobago to grow, Imbert and the Prime Minister must change their priorities from "making the rich richer" to national social economic development for all citizens.

"The crises we face now as a nation, from crime to unemployment, have all been because of this Government's messed-up policies.

"I expect budget 2025 will be the same as the last nine, with the same result – more pressure for taxpaying citizens."

Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee told Newsday he expected to see "an election-year budget" of "election goodies" which would never materialise.

Noting Trinidad and Tobago's budget deficit last year, he expected similar in this budget.

"The revenues are not coming in as projected by the Finance Minister. We wait to see what ‘creativity’ comes up on September 30.

"It will be an election-year budget. The goodies will come out in that budget. We are sure election goodies will come out. It will be based on promises that will not be kept."

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