Trinidad and Tobago
EU Member States Parliaments
Partnership with the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was announced in January 2020 and concluded in 2022.
Activities:
- Financial scrutiny workshop with parliamentary staff (5 November 2020):
A financial scrutiny workshop took place which included a presentation of the Hellenic Parliament Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) on the process of developing the budget office, the legal framework, the mandate and operations of the budget office, followed by a discussion on the needs of the Financial Scrutiny Unit at the Parliament.
- Financial scrutiny workshop for MPs(21 January 2021):
A financial scrutiny workshop for MPs was organized that shared knowledge from the Irish Parliament’s Parliamentary Budget Office and showcased the full budget cycle approach of the German Bundestag. INTER PARES also contributed a parliamentary expert from the Hellenic Parliament in a post-election seminar for the T&T Parliament on 22 February. The seminar was organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and entitled The impact of technological innovation on Parliaments and Parliamentarians.
- Peer review of budget reports prepared by the Financial Scrutiny Unit (March - June 2021):
A peer review was conducted by the Hellenic Parliament on Budget
documentation provided to the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago between March – June 2021, with a response provided by the informal Financial Scrutiny Unit at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. As a result of the cooperation, budget documents were further amended and improved, while the informal Financial Scrutiny Unit is set to be established as a formal department within the parliamentary administration, paving the way for further concrete discussions on the establishment of a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).
- Financial scrutiny workshop following up on peer review (10 February 2022):
Following up on the peer review and the response to the peer review provided by the Financial Scrutiny Unit, a follow-up meeting took place to discuss the comments provided in writing, to address the potential development of other types of
products and analysis and discuss how to find ways of marketing the Unit through communication strategies. A roadmap was discussed following the legal recognition of the Financial Scrutiny Unit and the development, in time, of a Parliamentary Budget Office.
Additional contributions throughout the life of the project:The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago participates in the following networks and activities: E-learning Working Group, Youth Working Group and the Agora Parliamentary Development Community of Practice.
Outcomes:
1. As a result of a peer review activity carried out in 2021, the focal point reported increased knowledge on budgetary processes.
2. Financial Scrutiny Unit was formally recognised paving the way to the creation of a Parliamentary Budget Office.
3. The knowledge and capacity of MPs to scrutinise the budget effectively was enhanced.
