Monday, October 8 2012

THE STRATEGIC Services Agency (SSA)’s allocation in the 2013 Budget has increased by $77.3 million to $107.6 million. The figures are contained in the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure for 2013, tabled in Parliament last Monday.

The SSA is supposed to now be a merged entity with the resources of the disbanded Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) and the Security Intelligence Agency.

The SSA’s allocation in 2012 was $30.3 million and in 2011 the allocation was $6 million.

The SAUTT’s last allocation, in 2011, was $213.3 million.

Other agencies falling under the Ministry of National Security will get increased allocation.

The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security’s allocation rises to $21.5 million, up from $14.7 million in 2012.

The Office of Law Enforcement Policy’s allocation is to rise to $4.7 million, up from $2 million in 2012. The Strategic Project Management Office allocation increases to $1.8 million, up from $500,000. The Information and Communications Technology Unit’s allocation is $8.4 million, up marginally.

The Morvant / Laventille Initiative, which has been linked to the Hoop of Life programme, gets an allocation of $11.1 million, up from $4 million. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM)’s allocation is $45.5 million, up by $10 million.