SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
78
SUSTAINING GROWTH, SECURING PROSPERITY
CHAPTER 4: OVERVIEW OF THE SOCIAL SECTOR FOR 2013
• Enhanced the School Feeding Programme at
a cost of TT$23.3 million;
• Extended 316 new Enterprise Assistance
Grants valued at TT$5.8 million;
• Provided Enterprise Assistance Loans worth
TT$0.7 million;
• Launched the Lalonde Gordon Sports Fund
with TT$1 million;
• Introduced programmes aimed at improving
the health and well-being of Tobagonians,
which included the Healthy Homes and
Healthy Families= A healthy Tobago, the
TobagoActionAgainst Influenza Plan, the I’m
for – Youth and Healthy Lifestyle Campaign;
as well as the Chronic Disease Registry
of Tobago and the Tobago Surveillance
Operational Manual for Communicable
Diseases;
• Launched the Emergency Medical Alert
Programme to provide senior citizens,
persons with disabilities and other at-risk
groups with direct contact to emergency
service providers in Tobago;
• Launched the Speyside Senior Citizens Club;
• Expanded the Emergency Services offered
by the 211 Call Centre at Signal Hill.
TheAssembly further recognised that economic
development in Tobago also requires that the
THA play a more facilitating role, while the
private sector takes a more proactive position
as the engine of growth. In this regard, the THA
allocated TT$20 million to the THA Venture
Capital Equity Fund, as it sought to transform
the Tobago economy. The mandate of the Fund
is to partner with the private sector to provide
equity capital to support sustainable high-yield
business start-ups which meet the investment
criteria of the Fund. To date, the Fund has
received several business proposals in four of
its six priority sectors. It has committed capital
to two green field companies, both in the light
manufacturing sector; and continues to work
with these companies to fast-track early start-
up dates.
C
