2016-2017
Head 01: Office of the President
A SUMMARY OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT’S EXPENDITURE, DIVISIONS AND PROJECTS
FINANCIAL SCRUITINY UNIT, PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Table of Contents
About this Guide......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Head 01 – Office of the President ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Department Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Staff and Pay ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
2016-2017 Estimates of Expenditure ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Head 01 – President .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Period 2011 - 2017 ......................................................................................................................... 8
Goods and Services................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Overseas Travel ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Entertainment, Conferences and Publicity .......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Expenses of the President’s Establishment .......................................................................................................................................................... 15
Analysis of Summary of Expenditure ................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Findings in the Auditor General’s Report for the Fiscal Year 2015................................................................................................................. 18
General Useful Information ................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
1
About this Guide
This guide provides a summary of expenditure of Office of the President for the period 2011 – 2017. It provides the Members of Parliament
and their stakeholders with an overview of the Department’s responsibilities. The primary purpose of this guide is to consolidate all of
the information contained within the various Budget Documents pertaining to the Office of the President. This guide is based primarily
on the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure and the Auditor General’s Report on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad
and Tobago for the fiscal year 2015.
2
Head 01 – President
Department Overview
The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is elected by the Electoral College1 in accordance with the Constitution of the
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The President is the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces (TT Defence Force:
TT Regiment, TT Coast Guard, TT Air Guard, TT Defence Force Reserves). The roles and functions of the Office are entrusted to the
President via the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to being the Head of State, the President is also granted
various other responsibilities under the Constitution.2. The President is required to assent to Bills passed by the House of Representatives
and the Senate before they can become law.
President: His Excellency Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, SC
Accounting Officer: Mr. Gregory Serrette – Secretary to His Excellency
1
In accordance with section 28(1) of the Constitution, the Electoral College is a unicameral body consisting of all the members of the Senate and all the members of the House of
Representatives assembled together: http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/Constitution.pdf.
2
Office of the President, accessed on August 23, 2016: https://otp.tt/the-president/roles/
3
2016-2017 Estimates of Expenditure
The budget allocation for the Office of the President is comprised of:

The Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure in the sum of $ 17,530,000.00.
The Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure include:

01 Personnel Expenditure - $2,033,600.00;

02 Goods and Services - $13,496,400.00; and

03 Minor Equipment Purchases - $2,000,000; and
The Office of the President total allocation as a percentage of the total Recurrent Expenditure budget allocation was 0.03%.
4
Office of the President Total Allocation - $17,530,000
$2,000,000.00
$2,033,600.00
$13,496,400.00
Personnel Expenditure
Goods and Services
Minor Equipment Purchases
5
Staff and Pay
The allocation of staff expenditure for the year 2017 is $3,531,600, which represents a decrease of approximately 18% from the last fiscal
year 2016. The diagram below provides a breakdown of all staff related expenditure from 2015-2017.
Summary of Expenditure Staff and Pay 2015 2017
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
Personnel Expenditure
2015 Actual
2016 Revised Estimate
2017 Estimate
2,408,035
1,910,200
2,033,600
Uniforms
1,690
3,600
3,000
Travelling and Subsistence
58,366
32,000
29,000
0
2,052,000
1,400,000
Contract Employment
Training
110,599
34,000
25,000
Short-Term Employment
37,810
280,500
40,000
Employee Assistance Programme
Total
Personnel Expenditure
Uniforms
450
1,000
1,000
2,616,950
4,313,300
3,531,600
Travelling and Subsistence
Contract Employment
Training
Short-Term Employment
Employee Assistance Programme
Total
6
2016-2017 Estimates of Expenditure
Head 01 – President
* Salaries and
Cost of Living
Allowance
*Gov't
Contribution
to NIS-Direct
Charges
* Gov't
Contribution
to NIS and
Group Health
Insurance
* Salaries Direct
Charges
Sub-Head 02
Sub-Head O1
* AllowancesDirect
Charges
$13,496,000
Personnel
Expenditure
$2,033,600
* AllowancesMonthly Paid
Officers
Goods and
Services
Sub-Head 03
Minor Equipment
Purchases
$2,000,000
*Vacant Posts
- Salaries &
COLA
(without
incumbents)
Note
 $17,530,000 for Head 01 – President is issued from the Consolidated Fund for meeting expenditure
for the services of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ending on the 30.09.2017.
7
Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Period 2011 - 2017
Thousands
Summary of Recurrent Expenditure for the Period 2011 to 2017
25000
Dollars
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
2011 Actual
1,732,359
15,359,508
317,209
2012 Actual
1,688,431
16,965,936
159,412
2013 Actual
2,169,043
17,394,955
934,613
2014 Actual
2,959,260
19,178,755
2,890,939
2015 Actual
2,408,035
20,975,450
1,573,830
2016 Revised Estimates
1,910,200
21,442,100
900,000
2017 Estimates
2,033,600
13,496,400
2,000,000
8
2011 Actual Recurrent Expenditure
1.8%
10%
88%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
2012 Actual Recurrent Expenditure
0.8%
9%
90%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
9
2013 Actual Recurrent Expenditure
4.6%
11%
85%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
2014 Actual Recurrent Expenditure
12%
12%
77%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
10
2015 Actual Recurrent Expenditure
6%
10%
84%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
2016 Revised Estimates
4%
8%
88%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
11
2017 Estimates
11%
12%
77%
01 Personnel Expenditure
02 Goods and Services
03 Minor Equipment Purchases
12
Goods and Services
Overseas Travel
Summary of Expenditure Overseas Travel 2011 - 2017
$1,800,000
$1,600,000
$1,400,000
$1,200,000
$1,000,000
$800,000
$600,000
$400,000
$200,000
$0
Official Overseas Travel
Overseas Travel Facilities - Direct Charges
2011 Actual
$528,823
$1,431,860
2012 Actual
$436,390
$1,663,173
2013 Actual
$645,329
$1,255,220
2014 Actual
$974,255
$1,314,064
2015 Actual
2016 Revised Estimate
2017 Estimate
2011 Actual
2012 Actual
$972,077
$1,700,912
$1,000,000
$1,700,000
$900,000
$1,000,000
2013 Actual
2014 Actual
2015 Actual
2016 Revised Estimate
2017 Estimate
13
Entertainment, Conferences and Publicity
Summary of Expenditure for Entertainment, Conferences & Publicity 2011 - 2017
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$0
Official Entertainment
Hosting of Conferences, Seminars and Other
Functions
Promotions Publicity and Printing
2011 Actual
$4,362,940
$0
$48,472
2012 Actual
$4,366,626
$912,512
$50,892
2013 Actual
$4,899,360
$144,766
$54,635
2014 Actual
$3,552,298
$421,107
$38,577
2015 Actual
$4,142,980
$699,714
$25,935
2016 Revised Estimate
$2,200,000
$1,780,000
$25,000
2017 Estimate
$1,000,000
$500,000
$25,000
2011 Actual
2012 Actual
2013 Actual
2014 Actual
2015 Actual
2016 Revised Estimate
2017 Estimate
14
Expenses of the President’s Establishment
Summary of Expenditure for Expenses of the President's Establishment 2011 - 2017
$9,000,000
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$0
Expenses of President's Establishment
Expenses of President's Establishment - Tobago
2011 Actual
$4,698,464
$548,557
2012 Actual
$4,358,448
$144,301
2013 Actual
$5,297,946
$180,628
2014 Actual
$8,169,131
$307,652
2015 Actual
$8,142,446
$197,934
2016 Revised Estimate
$6,500,000
$186,600
2017 Estimate
$5,500,000
$186,600
2011 Actual
2012 Actual
2013 Actual
2014 Actual
2015 Actual
2016 Revised Estimate
2017 Estimate
15
Analysis of Summary of Expenditure
Year
Total Allocation
National Budget
Percentage of National
Budget
2011
$17,409,076
$58,025,963,057.00
0.03%
2012
$18,813,779
$59,402,159,722.00
0.03%
2013
$20,498,611
$64,320,728,236.00
0.03%
2014
$25,028,954
$69,825,729,627.00
0.04%
2015
$24,957,315
$65,.551,084,430.00
0.04%
2016
$24,252,300
$57,274,282,164.00
0.04%
2017
$17,530,000
$59,200,398,031.00
0.03%
16
The charts and table above highlight the summary of expenditure for the period 2011-2017.
 Recurrent Expenditure refers to the payments for expenses which are incurred during the day-to-day operations of the Office of
the President for Personnel Expenditure, Goods and Services and Minor Equipment Purchases. Recurrent Expenditure for Fiscal
Year 2016/2017 is $17,530,000.00. This represents .032% of the total Recurrent Expenditure for the financial year 2016/2017.
 Recurrent Expenditure for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 was $24,252,300.00(revised). Comparing this figure with Fiscal Year 2016/2017,
there is a decrease of 28%.
 A largest portion of the Office of the President allocation has consistently gone to Sub Head 02 – Goods and Services which has
been fluctuating over the period 2011 to 2017. In the 2017 fiscal year, there is a decrease of approximately 37% in the allocation to
Goods and Services from 2016.
 For the Sub-Head Goods and Services, the largest sum is allocated to the Sub-Item - Expenses of the President’s Establishment,
which shows a decrease in expenditure of approximately 15% from the previous year 2016.
 In 2017 the Personnel Expenditure percentage is 12% of the Office of the President’s total Recurrent Expenditure allocation.
Further analysis shows that the largest Sub-Item of Personnel Expenditure is allocated to Salaries –Direct Charges and Salaries
and Cost of Living Allowance.
 The smallest portion of the allocation for the Office of the President has consistently been allocated to Minor Equipment Purchases
over the period 2011 to 2017.
17
Findings in the Auditor General’s Report for the Fiscal Year 2015
Ref: Auditor General’s Report pg.443
Expenditure Control

There were 85 instances of incorrect classification of expenditure totalling $2,685,236.90 in contravention of Financial Regulation
65 which stipulates that a vote may not be applied to a purpose for which it was not intended.
Inventory Control

Office Furniture and Equipment costing $129,818.59 and items costing $300,444.92 sampled from total purchases amounting to
$685,469.22 for the President’s household were not entered in the Inventory Register.

Office Furniture and Equipment were also not tagged as Government property as required by Financial Regulation (Stores) 55.
Pension and Leave Records

Pension and Leave records were not being updated on a regular basis. Records for two retirees were submitted after the due date.
3
Report of the Auditor General on the Public Account of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year 2015, accessed on October 2, 2016:
http://www.auditorgeneral.gov.tt/sites/default/files/Auditor%20General%27s%20Report%20on%20the%20Public%20Accounts%202015.pdf
18
General Useful Information

The President of India, INDIA: http://presidentofindia.nic.in/

The Governor General of Canada, CAN: https://www.gg.ca/index.aspx

Governor- General of the Commonwealth of Australia, AUS : https://www.gg.gov.au/
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