TRINIDAD and Tobago cannot afford a “populist budget” that papers over deep economic cracks, former planning minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie warned on September 26.

Speaking ahead of Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo’s first budget presentation in early October, he said the country is at a “time to choose” moment where waste, corruption and policy drift can no longer be tolerated.

“You must not do a populist budget that basically takes the country further down the road to hell,” Tewarie told an online pre-budget forum hosted by UWI. “The country cannot afford it.”