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THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN TRINIDAD AND …

KEY FACTSPOPULATION (2017 estimate): 1,353,895:AREA (UN 2006): 5,130 sq kmCAPITAL: Port of SpainCURRENCY: TRINIDAD and Tobago dollar (TT$)HEAD OF STATE: President Paula-Mae WeekesHEAD OF GOVERNMENT : Prime Minister Keith Rowley FORM OF GOVERNMENT : parliamentary republicPARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM : bicameralSTATE STRUCTURE: unitaryLANGUAGES: English (official)NATIONAL ELECTIONS:last: 2015, turnout: ; next: 2020 WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT (2015): (representatives) (senators) LOCAL ELECTIONS: TRINIDAD municipal corporations: last: 2016, turnout: ; next: 2019 Tobago House of Assembly: last: 2017, turnout: ; next: 2021 WOMEN COUNCILLORS (2016): GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE as a percentage of total GOVERNMENT expenditure 2015/16: AND TOBAGOSUMMARYT rinidad and Tobago is a unitary republic with two levels of GOVERNMENT : national and LOCAL .

municipalities on Trinidad and a single House of Assembly on Tobago. 3.3.1 Trinidad municipal corporations: The 14 municipal corporations are of three types: two city corporations, three borough corporations and nine regional corporations. All have the same powers and responsibilities and are empowered to make policies and by-laws in relation

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Transcription of THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN TRINIDAD AND …

1 KEY FACTSPOPULATION (2017 estimate): 1,353,895:AREA (UN 2006): 5,130 sq kmCAPITAL: Port of SpainCURRENCY: TRINIDAD and Tobago dollar (TT$)HEAD OF STATE: President Paula-Mae WeekesHEAD OF GOVERNMENT : Prime Minister Keith Rowley FORM OF GOVERNMENT : parliamentary republicPARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM : bicameralSTATE STRUCTURE: unitaryLANGUAGES: English (official)NATIONAL ELECTIONS:last: 2015, turnout: ; next: 2020 WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT (2015): (representatives) (senators) LOCAL ELECTIONS: TRINIDAD municipal corporations: last: 2016, turnout: ; next: 2019 Tobago House of Assembly: last: 2017, turnout: ; next: 2021 WOMEN COUNCILLORS (2016): GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE as a percentage of total GOVERNMENT expenditure 2015/16: AND TOBAGOSUMMARYT rinidad and Tobago is a unitary republic with two levels of GOVERNMENT : national and LOCAL .

2 There is no specific constitutional provision for LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; however, the Tobago House of Assembly is enshrined within the constitution. The Municipal Corporations Act 1990 and the Tobago House of Assembly Act 1996 comprise the principal legislation governing LOCAL GOVERNMENT . The Ministry of Rural Development and LOCAL GOVERNMENT oversees LOCAL authorities on TRINIDAD whilst the Tobago House of Assembly reports directly to the Office of the Prime Minister. The structure of LOCAL GOVERNMENT comprises a single authority in Tobago and 14 municipal corporations in TRINIDAD , comprising two city corporations, three borough corporations and nine regional corporations.

3 Following the 2016 election, of councillors and of mayors/chairpersons were women. In the 2015/16 financial year, LOCAL GOVERNMENT expenditure was of total GOVERNMENT expenditure. All cities and boroughs will regain revenue-raising power when the repeal of the current legislation is finalised. National GOVERNMENT makes significant contributions, especially to the Tobago authority. However, the Tobago House of Assembly governance structure is devolved in its functions except in the case of national security, revenue generation and international affairs. The LOCAL authorities have devolved responsibility for a wide range of functions from policing to primary health and NATIONAL GOVERNMENTT rinidad and Tobago is a unitary republic with a bicameral parliament.

4 The head of state is the non-executive president, who is elected by the members of both houses for a five-year term. Parliament comprises an elected house of representatives and an appointed senate. The 41 members of the house of representatives are directly elected for a five-year term by the first-past-the-post SYSTEM . The president appoints the 31 senators: 16 on the advice of the prime minister, six on the advice of the leader of the opposition and another nine at the president s own discretion. Following the 2015 national election, (13/42) of elected representatives and (9/31) of senators were The prime minister is appointed by the president and is usually the leader of the majority party in the house of representatives.

5 The prime minister appoints a cabinet from the members of both LEGAL BASIS FOR LOCAL Constitutional provisionsLocal GOVERNMENT is not enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of TRINIDAD and Tobago, but, the Tobago House of Assembly is enshrined in Chapter 11A of the Main legislative textsThe Municipal Corporations Act is the principal legislation governing LOCAL GOVERNMENT in TRINIDAD , while Tobago is principally governed by the Tobago House of Assembly Act Proposed legislative changesThe 2016 GOVERNMENT document titled Transitioning of LOCAL GOVERNMENT Policy (TLGP) is guiding a wide-ranging revision of LOCAL GOVERNMENT legislation, including the Municipal Corporations Act 1990.

6 As the remit of municipalities expands, some of the key legislative changes being considered, and which are outlined in the TLGP 2016, include: the term of office for councils to be revised to four years councils to have effective executive authority, and councillors and aldermen to become full-time, salaried postholders the Integrity in Public Life Act and other relevant legislation to be amended to apply to chief executive officers, deputy chief executive officers and other senior management staff the amendment of legislation so that LOCAL GOVERNMENT bodies may collect and retain for use property taxes and fines as identified an expansion in the number of standing committees within municipalities.

7 To facilitate the inclusion and management of additional responsibilities by LOCAL GOVERNMENT bodies; a review of the legislation governing the Municipal Police Service to give effect to its expansion as stated in national GOVERNMENT policy, entrenchment of the decentralisation of social service delivery as a key function of LOCAL GOVERNMENT review of the relevant sections of the Public Health Act a review of sections of the Act governing the Building Inspectorate, to give rise to the Municipal Planning Department confirmation of the role of disaster management units within LOCAL GOVERNMENT as first responders and provision for strengthening these units so they can respond effectively amendment of the Burial Grounds Act and related Acts to allow for relevant functions currently carried out nationally to transfer to LOCAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN TRINIDAD AND TObAGO COUNTRY PROFILE 2017 National urban policyThe National Spatial Development (NSDS)

8 Is an overarching framework that spatially represents the sociocultural, economic and environmental priorities of TRINIDAD and Tobago. These strategies and policies articulate the GOVERNMENT s vision of sustainable development and aim to describe in broad terms the nature and location of future development in the As a spatial development strategy, distinct from a physical development plan, the NSDS provides a strategic national framework, based on spatial planning principles, and guidance to be followed when the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and municipal corporations are reviewing or preparing detailed LOCAL spatial development plans and when decisions are being made on specific development proposals.

9 It also provides a broad spatial development context for key infrastructure and investment STRUCTURE OF LOCAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT within the stateLocal GOVERNMENT is single-tiered in both TRINIDAD and Tobago, with TRINIDAD divided into 14 municipalities/regional corporations and Tobago having a single House of Ministerial oversightThe Ministry of Rural Development and LOCAL (MRDLG) is headed by a cabinet minister who is responsible for the policy directives of the ministry. Under Section 269 of the Municipal Corporations Act 1990 the minister can give general or specific directions to municipal councils in relation to GOVERNMENT policy on any matter.

10 The minister is also tasked with promoting an effective and equitable partnership between national and LOCAL GOVERNMENT in the development of socioeconomic growth, balanced sustainable development and social welfare; and also acts as adjudicator in cases of disputes between municipal corporations. The ministry s fundamental functions in relation to the corporations include: monitoring, evaluation and adjudication; technical services engineering and project management; drafting legislation relevant to LOCAL GOVERNMENT ; developing policy frameworks; and oversight of financial transfers from national Council typesThere are two types of LOCAL GOVERNMENT : municipalities on TRINIDAD and a single House of Assembly on TRINIDAD municipal corporations:The 14 municipal corporations are of three types: two city corporations, three borough corporations and nine regional corporations.


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