Trinidad & Tobago
Govt failing at foreign affairs
Port-of-Spain – Naparima MP Rodney Charles last week took the government to task for its lack of action and leadership in 2017. He called it a year of failure in foreign affairs.
Charles criticized the government for several reasons, including the country’s status remaining “non-compliant” in this year’s Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development annual report on international tax transparency standards.
He noted the report, Brief on the State of Play on International Tax Transparency Standards, said, “Trinidad and Tobago underwent a fast-track review but was unable to demonstrate sufficient progress to warrant a provisional upgrade in its ratings and it remains ‘non-compliant.’”
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and 14 other countries were upgraded based on fast-track reviews while fellow Caricom countries Barbados, and Saint Lucia, were upgraded based on full peer reviews.
He said it was a shame Trinidad and Tobago was not upgraded while Nauru, a country in the Central Pacific with a population of 13,000, was able to demonstrate “significant” progress.
“Finance Minister Colm Imbert, AG Faris Al-Rawi, and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses should hold their heads in collective shame,” Charles said.
He added: “This lethargy, lack of political will, sheer laziness, shamelessness, ineptitude, and massive incompetence have disturbingly come to characterise this Keith Rowley administration with no discernible plan to take us forward.”
Charles believed this attitude was displayed with the Caricom countries divided votes on the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution against the US for its recent decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He questioned whether a census was taken and lamented past years when Trinidad and Tobago took a leadership position in Caricom, often championing positions on various issues.
“In 2017 we were among the very last Caricom nations to ratify the Paris Climate Change Agreement even though in 2013/14 our own Kishan Kumarsingh co-chaired meetings in Bonn, Warsaw, and elsewhere that laid the groundwork for that landmark agreement. At the end of 2017, under Dennis Moses, we are largely seen as irrelevant, insignificant, missing in action, reactive, and lacking policy coherence and dynamism on the global stage,” he said.
He lamented all diplomatic appointments by the government except Brussels, saying they were all political.
He seemed especially disappointed in the new ambassador to the UN in Geneva, calling her a “relative neophyte” and the appointment as a “major blow to the morale of the public servants in the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs.”
He then mentioned the “diplomatic humiliation” of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s invitation to a meeting of world leaders in Beijing being withdrawn.
“Add frequent negative visitor advisories, an unregulated refugee crisis, returning ISIS fighters, indiscretions by Cabinet ministers, emailgate, a fake oil scandal, escalating crime, the inter-island transport debacle, FX shortages, record murder rates, and a judiciary in disarray; reports of which would necessarily have been included in briefs to their respective capitals by foreign missions based in PoS. 2017 was indeed a year we would all wish to forget,” he noted.
Port-of-Spain – The road fatality figure of 117 recorded for 2017 was the lowest in the past 22 years, acting ASP Kissoon Badloo said last week. Comparatively, there were 106 fatalities in 2016.
The previous lowest was in 1995, when 114 people were killed in road accidents, Badloo said.
“The country has managed to reduce this figure by 50 percent, which is to be commended. The TTPS wishes to thank all road users for the continued call to be more vigilant, responsible and cautious when using the nation’s roadways. I hope this year everyone will be on board with us (TTPS) to make 2018 one of the safest years ever,” he noted.
Additionally, “In 2016, the number of fatal road accidents was 114; in 2017 it was 105. This represents an eight percent decrease in road traffic accidents. The number of road fatalities from those fatal road traffic accidents in 2016 amounted to 135, and in 2017 the figure was 116. This represents a 14 percent decrease. Officers... also conducted 7,657 stop-and-search exercises in 2016/, whist in 2017 the figure rose to 17,226. This represents 125 per cent increase.”
Badloo said in 2016, officers issued 22,627 tickets and in 2017, they issued 36,502, a 61 percent increase.
He noted the number of traffic exercises undertaken by the Traffic Branch in 2016 was 483, while in 2017 the figure was 1,144. The number of tickets issued on regular exercises and patrols in 2016 was 11,333, and in 2017 there were 17,427, a 54 percent increase.
“The number of speeding tickets issued in 2016 amounted to 11,294 whilst in 2017 that figure rose to 19,075. This represents a 69 percent increase. Officers also recovered seven firearms with 78 rounds of ammunition in 2016, whilst in 2017 eight firearms were recovered and 52 rounds of ammunition was also recovered. This represents a 14 percent increase,” he said.
Badloo added: “Officers from the branch also arrested 122 people and held 24 people on outstanding warrants in 2016. In 2017, 130 people were arrested and charged, and 39 were held on outstanding warrants. This represents a seven percent increase.”
He noted in wrecking activities in Port-of-Spain in 2016, 12,052 vehicles were impounded, and revenue collected amounted to (TT) $5.7 million, while in 2017, 10,563 vehicles were impounded, and the revenue collected was $4.9 million.
“Nationally, with the DUI testing, 35,594 people were tested in 2016, and from those tests 2, 605 people were arrested. In 2017, 56,357 people were tested, and arrests amounted to 4,380. The testing increased by 58 percent, and the people arrested, the percentage was 68,” he said.
The previous lowest was in 1995, when 114 people were killed in road accidents, Badloo said.
“The country has managed to reduce this figure by 50 percent, which is to be commended. The TTPS wishes to thank all road users for the continued call to be more vigilant, responsible and cautious when using the nation’s roadways. I hope this year everyone will be on board with us (TTPS) to make 2018 one of the safest years ever,” he noted.
Additionally, “In 2016, the number of fatal road accidents was 114; in 2017 it was 105. This represents an eight percent decrease in road traffic accidents. The number of road fatalities from those fatal road traffic accidents in 2016 amounted to 135, and in 2017 the figure was 116. This represents a 14 percent decrease. Officers... also conducted 7,657 stop-and-search exercises in 2016/, whist in 2017 the figure rose to 17,226. This represents 125 per cent increase.”
Badloo said in 2016, officers issued 22,627 tickets and in 2017, they issued 36,502, a 61 percent increase.
He noted the number of traffic exercises undertaken by the Traffic Branch in 2016 was 483, while in 2017 the figure was 1,144. The number of tickets issued on regular exercises and patrols in 2016 was 11,333, and in 2017 there were 17,427, a 54 percent increase.
“The number of speeding tickets issued in 2016 amounted to 11,294 whilst in 2017 that figure rose to 19,075. This represents a 69 percent increase. Officers also recovered seven firearms with 78 rounds of ammunition in 2016, whilst in 2017 eight firearms were recovered and 52 rounds of ammunition was also recovered. This represents a 14 percent increase,” he said.
Badloo added: “Officers from the branch also arrested 122 people and held 24 people on outstanding warrants in 2016. In 2017, 130 people were arrested and charged, and 39 were held on outstanding warrants. This represents a seven percent increase.”
He noted in wrecking activities in Port-of-Spain in 2016, 12,052 vehicles were impounded, and revenue collected amounted to (TT) $5.7 million, while in 2017, 10,563 vehicles were impounded, and the revenue collected was $4.9 million.
“Nationally, with the DUI testing, 35,594 people were tested in 2016, and from those tests 2, 605 people were arrested. In 2017, 56,357 people were tested, and arrests amounted to 4,380. The testing increased by 58 percent, and the people arrested, the percentage was 68,” he said.
Port-of-Spain – The government has put the financial restraint on Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival, with Finance Minister Colm Imbert hitting the celebration with a one-third cut in donations for all events receiving sponsorship from his ministry and its agencies.
The decrease in sponsorship is expected to apply to events sponsored by all government agencies.
Speaking about the cuts last week, Imbert said: “I can’t tell you whether this particular event gets sponsorship from other agencies or other enterprises, but it would be a general policy that would be coming out of the Ministry of Finance that we have to reduce the amount of the contributions across the board to all of these organisations.”
What this means is the Chutney Soca Monarch, which received (TT) $1.5 million last year from the National Lotteries Control Board, will receive $1 million for 2018; the International Soca Monarch competition, which received $2.5 million last year, will this year receive only $1.8 million.
Imbert’s announcement left event organisers setting up meetings to decide whether some competitions would proceed.
ISM organiser Peter Scoon said his team would take Imbert’s announcement under consideration, and meet to rework the figures to see if it was feasible to host the event.
“They are dropping one-third and that is one thing but the police, the fire services, the national stadium and service providers are not dropping one-third off their fees. We have to do quick work to talk to the entities to see if we can make it work,” he said.
Special interest groups, PanTrinbago, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, and the National Carnival Bands Association, will also receive a similar cut in sponsorship funds.
Carnival special interest groups receive state sponsorship in addition to state subventions from the National Carnival Commission.
Last year Arts Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly told Parliament out of a $168 million budget Pan Trinbago was allocated $23 million, the NCBA about $9 million, and another $7.3 million went to TUCO.
The NCC is expected to receive a similar allocation of $160 million this year, just half of what it received in 2015, a figure that ballooned from what Imbert has said was $8 million in 1992.
The funding of private events such as the soca monarch and chutney soca monarch competitions will soon be under review.
Imbert said a new board of the NLCB would be installed soon, adding his ministry would raise the issue of the use of NLCB’s funds with the new board in terms of policy and direction.
“What I have discovered is that most of these shows depend on the government almost exclusively. It is something we as a country have to look at, what should the NLCB funds be used for,” Imbert said.
The NLCB is allowed to spend a percentage of its income on donations, but Imbert said he was sympathetic with the point of view that the funds of the agency should be used for community and cultural ventures, and not for profit-making shows.
Said Imbert: “Most of these promoters will say that they are not making a profit and are doing this as a form of giving back, but that is a very interesting point as to whether the funds of the NLCB should be used for events like this or should go to assist villages in need or communities and that kind of thing. My own personal view is that it should go toward charitable causes and community events.”
Imbert said it was not compulsory for the government to sponsor any of these events at any specific figure, but it uses discretion in a balanced way in order reach as many groups as possible.
“We cannot spend what we used to spend, we have to balance. There are demands everywhere so everybody will have to adjust,” he said.
The decrease in sponsorship is expected to apply to events sponsored by all government agencies.
Speaking about the cuts last week, Imbert said: “I can’t tell you whether this particular event gets sponsorship from other agencies or other enterprises, but it would be a general policy that would be coming out of the Ministry of Finance that we have to reduce the amount of the contributions across the board to all of these organisations.”
What this means is the Chutney Soca Monarch, which received (TT) $1.5 million last year from the National Lotteries Control Board, will receive $1 million for 2018; the International Soca Monarch competition, which received $2.5 million last year, will this year receive only $1.8 million.
Imbert’s announcement left event organisers setting up meetings to decide whether some competitions would proceed.
ISM organiser Peter Scoon said his team would take Imbert’s announcement under consideration, and meet to rework the figures to see if it was feasible to host the event.
“They are dropping one-third and that is one thing but the police, the fire services, the national stadium and service providers are not dropping one-third off their fees. We have to do quick work to talk to the entities to see if we can make it work,” he said.
Special interest groups, PanTrinbago, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, and the National Carnival Bands Association, will also receive a similar cut in sponsorship funds.
Carnival special interest groups receive state sponsorship in addition to state subventions from the National Carnival Commission.
Last year Arts Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly told Parliament out of a $168 million budget Pan Trinbago was allocated $23 million, the NCBA about $9 million, and another $7.3 million went to TUCO.
The NCC is expected to receive a similar allocation of $160 million this year, just half of what it received in 2015, a figure that ballooned from what Imbert has said was $8 million in 1992.
The funding of private events such as the soca monarch and chutney soca monarch competitions will soon be under review.
Imbert said a new board of the NLCB would be installed soon, adding his ministry would raise the issue of the use of NLCB’s funds with the new board in terms of policy and direction.
“What I have discovered is that most of these shows depend on the government almost exclusively. It is something we as a country have to look at, what should the NLCB funds be used for,” Imbert said.
The NLCB is allowed to spend a percentage of its income on donations, but Imbert said he was sympathetic with the point of view that the funds of the agency should be used for community and cultural ventures, and not for profit-making shows.
Said Imbert: “Most of these promoters will say that they are not making a profit and are doing this as a form of giving back, but that is a very interesting point as to whether the funds of the NLCB should be used for events like this or should go to assist villages in need or communities and that kind of thing. My own personal view is that it should go toward charitable causes and community events.”
Imbert said it was not compulsory for the government to sponsor any of these events at any specific figure, but it uses discretion in a balanced way in order reach as many groups as possible.
“We cannot spend what we used to spend, we have to balance. There are demands everywhere so everybody will have to adjust,” he said.
Opposition Leader
Port-of-Spain – The government has shown an inability to advance Trinidad and Tobago, a feat which only the United National Congress can accomplish, asserted Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her new year’s message.
She said 2017 had been “a difficult year” of challenges that needed decisive action but which instead had seen a deterioration in people’s quality of life.
The People’s National Movement government in its two years in office has continued to disappoint, with its “lack of vision, strategies or ideas to improve citizens lives,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar added: “Today, I am saddened by what I see taking place in our beloved nation. Crime continues unabated, and the negative impact of the crime scourge is widespread, affecting all levels of society.”
She said the government had proven incapable of crafting measures to curb crime and foster a safe and secure environment for citizens. She accused the government of rejecting Opposition proposals against crime and blame others for its inability to govern effectively.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “This blame game must stop. The government must take responsibility for its actions, or step aside and let the people choose a team that is capable of getting the job done.”
Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago also faced an economic crisis, with few efforts made to generate revenue, diversify the economy, encourage foreign investment or create sustainable jobs.
“As we head into a new year, several thousand of our citizens remain unemployed, and have no income. We continue to press the current government to come up with a defined plan and get to work in getting the economy moving in a positive direction,” she said.
Lamenting a disturbing trend of “questionable practices, deals and award of contracts, and a lack of Government accountability,” she said: “It cannot be business as usual as we move into the third year of this administration.”
She vowed the Opposition would be diligent to ensure that only good law is passed.
“I know it may be difficult to remain positive in the trying times we currently face, but as we move forward into this new year, I urge each of you to take heart, to keep faith and hope alive, and to unite in our effort to make out country a better place, one of which we can truly be proud,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She said the UNC was fully prepared to provide the country with the “leadership, vision and plan” to move the nation forward.
Persad-Bissessar said her team had developed a plan to involve and benefit all citizens, but needed “all hands, minds and hearts” to come together and to work towards bettering Trinidad and Tobago.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “I invite all citizens to join us as we prepare to return good governance to our country. I promise to continue to take the time to consult with you, to listen to your concerns and suggestions for our nation. I urge all citizens – let us move into 2018 with a positive outlook, and renewed commitment to our country.”
She said 2017 had been “a difficult year” of challenges that needed decisive action but which instead had seen a deterioration in people’s quality of life.
The People’s National Movement government in its two years in office has continued to disappoint, with its “lack of vision, strategies or ideas to improve citizens lives,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar added: “Today, I am saddened by what I see taking place in our beloved nation. Crime continues unabated, and the negative impact of the crime scourge is widespread, affecting all levels of society.”
She said the government had proven incapable of crafting measures to curb crime and foster a safe and secure environment for citizens. She accused the government of rejecting Opposition proposals against crime and blame others for its inability to govern effectively.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “This blame game must stop. The government must take responsibility for its actions, or step aside and let the people choose a team that is capable of getting the job done.”
Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago also faced an economic crisis, with few efforts made to generate revenue, diversify the economy, encourage foreign investment or create sustainable jobs.
“As we head into a new year, several thousand of our citizens remain unemployed, and have no income. We continue to press the current government to come up with a defined plan and get to work in getting the economy moving in a positive direction,” she said.
Lamenting a disturbing trend of “questionable practices, deals and award of contracts, and a lack of Government accountability,” she said: “It cannot be business as usual as we move into the third year of this administration.”
She vowed the Opposition would be diligent to ensure that only good law is passed.
“I know it may be difficult to remain positive in the trying times we currently face, but as we move forward into this new year, I urge each of you to take heart, to keep faith and hope alive, and to unite in our effort to make out country a better place, one of which we can truly be proud,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She said the UNC was fully prepared to provide the country with the “leadership, vision and plan” to move the nation forward.
Persad-Bissessar said her team had developed a plan to involve and benefit all citizens, but needed “all hands, minds and hearts” to come together and to work towards bettering Trinidad and Tobago.
Said Persad-Bissessar: “I invite all citizens to join us as we prepare to return good governance to our country. I promise to continue to take the time to consult with you, to listen to your concerns and suggestions for our nation. I urge all citizens – let us move into 2018 with a positive outlook, and renewed commitment to our country.”
Port-of-Spain – Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh last week urged Education Minister Anthony Garcia to deal with the problems arising in the nation’s schools including blocked sewer systems. Earlier, Garcia had complained about alleged tampering of sewers at Arouca Government and St Joseph Girls RC schools plus an unnamed ASJA school.
However, Gopeesingh rejected Garcia’s complaint.
“The claim by Mr Garcia that people are sabotaging the school system would have been laughably funny if it weren’t fake, self-serving and seriously disturbing,” he said.
Gopeesingh said over half the country’s primary schools are over 50 years old, and so contain old sewer systems which often break down. He said Garcia should deal with these breakdowns, not try to blame someone for alleged sabotage.
Asked if he was denying anyone had deliberately stuffed jerseys into toilets in sabotage, Gopeesingh replied, “You have children in schools and these things will occur and you must have the ability to deal with them.”
Gopeesingh’s statement hit Garcia’s record, including suspending the distribution of laptops to pupils (and dismissal of hundreds of ICT technicians), in contrast to the Kamla Persad-Bissessar Administration’s allocation of 98,000 laptops.
“The distribution of textbooks has been halted. The Persad-Bissessar government allocated two million textbooks,” he said.
Gopeesingh alleged the country’s 404 homework centres have been shutdown under Garcia, who has allegedly abandoned the construction of the Early Childhood Care and Education Centres, in contrast to the construction of 67 ECCE centres, 21 primary and eight secondary schools under Gopeesingh as education minister. The system of continuous teacher training was scrapped by Garcia, Gopeesingh alleged. “Further, he has reduced the student support service, which provided the professional involvement of educational, clinical and behavioural psychologists. Social workers have either not been paid their salaries or have been dismissed. As the incidence of schools’ violence continues to increase, Mr Garcia has abandoned local school boards, weakened the school-based management system and reduced security staffing,” he said.
Gopeesingh alleged the government has cut back on Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) training, unlike the former administration’s expansion of Tech-Voc schools from 42 to 102 schools.
He also hit Garcia for discarding Parenting in Education workshops, sabotaging the primary school curriculum, not paying operators of the schools’ transport system, and cutting (TT) $15 million annually from the Schools Feeding Programme depriving hundreds of pupils of nutritious meals.
“Caterers are also not being paid, leading to employees and suppliers being affected,” he said.
However, Gopeesingh rejected Garcia’s complaint.
“The claim by Mr Garcia that people are sabotaging the school system would have been laughably funny if it weren’t fake, self-serving and seriously disturbing,” he said.
Gopeesingh said over half the country’s primary schools are over 50 years old, and so contain old sewer systems which often break down. He said Garcia should deal with these breakdowns, not try to blame someone for alleged sabotage.
Asked if he was denying anyone had deliberately stuffed jerseys into toilets in sabotage, Gopeesingh replied, “You have children in schools and these things will occur and you must have the ability to deal with them.”
Gopeesingh’s statement hit Garcia’s record, including suspending the distribution of laptops to pupils (and dismissal of hundreds of ICT technicians), in contrast to the Kamla Persad-Bissessar Administration’s allocation of 98,000 laptops.
“The distribution of textbooks has been halted. The Persad-Bissessar government allocated two million textbooks,” he said.
Gopeesingh alleged the country’s 404 homework centres have been shutdown under Garcia, who has allegedly abandoned the construction of the Early Childhood Care and Education Centres, in contrast to the construction of 67 ECCE centres, 21 primary and eight secondary schools under Gopeesingh as education minister. The system of continuous teacher training was scrapped by Garcia, Gopeesingh alleged. “Further, he has reduced the student support service, which provided the professional involvement of educational, clinical and behavioural psychologists. Social workers have either not been paid their salaries or have been dismissed. As the incidence of schools’ violence continues to increase, Mr Garcia has abandoned local school boards, weakened the school-based management system and reduced security staffing,” he said.
Gopeesingh alleged the government has cut back on Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) training, unlike the former administration’s expansion of Tech-Voc schools from 42 to 102 schools.
He also hit Garcia for discarding Parenting in Education workshops, sabotaging the primary school curriculum, not paying operators of the schools’ transport system, and cutting (TT) $15 million annually from the Schools Feeding Programme depriving hundreds of pupils of nutritious meals.
“Caterers are also not being paid, leading to employees and suppliers being affected,” he said.
Port-of-Spain – Fear of crime has climbed to levels where some businessmen have resorted to a self-imposed curfew once the sun sets, leaving areas within Penal/Debe with no commercial activity.
This was revealed last week by Penal/Debe chamber president Rampersad Sieuraj. According to Sieuraj, the optimism businessmen had at the start of the year has been replaced with fear and pessimism with the murder toll hitting double figures in the first few days of 2018.
Sieuraj said the escalating crime situation has transformed the once bustling region into a virtual ghost town from between 7 pm and 8 am daily.
“Crime continues to impact the business community and it is no longer possible to journey in the Penal Debe area probably after 6 pm and see any kind of business activity. Businesses have ceased to operate after 6:30 pm as they have basically imposed a curfew on themselves. It’s no secret that every home right now is a jail where everybody is barricaded and behind burglar-proofing,” Sieuraj said. He added people have stopped reporting certain types of crime, as this seems to be a waste of time since the police appear unable to deal with the situation.
“From the crime position, we hope government would be able to institute some plan to positively impact the business community. Some businesses have actually experienced decreased sales of up to 50 percent over the Christmas season due to crime,” he said.
In agreement was Couva/Point Lisas Chamber president Ramchand Rajbal Maraj, who said crime is scaring away businesses from this region. He called for an increase in police/army patrols.
“We would like to see improved manpower at the Couva police station as well as vehicles and the combination of police and army patrolling the streets. Community police must be visible,” Maraj said.
Both leaders agreed the government has to stop talking about diversifying the economy, and actually begin to move it away from a dependency on oil and gas.
“In light of the fact that government has been in office two years and change yet nothing has been done, and given the situation in oil and gas dependency there is no foreseeable light on the horizon. It is very difficult to understand what is the government’s plan to uplift the business community,” Sieuraj said.
He said a light manufacturing park should be developed in the region to encourage the movement away from retail into manufacturing. Maraj said the local cocoa and honey industries are prime candidates which could also bring in much-needed foreign exchange.
Sieuraj said the heads of several business chambers including Tunapuna, Cunupia Business Association, Siparia, Penal/Debe, Rio Claro, Chaguanas, and Couva/Point Lisas, would have a roundtable discussion on the Revenue Authority on January 17, at the Couva/Point Lisas office to discuss the potential impact the Authority could have on the business community.
This was revealed last week by Penal/Debe chamber president Rampersad Sieuraj. According to Sieuraj, the optimism businessmen had at the start of the year has been replaced with fear and pessimism with the murder toll hitting double figures in the first few days of 2018.
Sieuraj said the escalating crime situation has transformed the once bustling region into a virtual ghost town from between 7 pm and 8 am daily.
“Crime continues to impact the business community and it is no longer possible to journey in the Penal Debe area probably after 6 pm and see any kind of business activity. Businesses have ceased to operate after 6:30 pm as they have basically imposed a curfew on themselves. It’s no secret that every home right now is a jail where everybody is barricaded and behind burglar-proofing,” Sieuraj said. He added people have stopped reporting certain types of crime, as this seems to be a waste of time since the police appear unable to deal with the situation.
“From the crime position, we hope government would be able to institute some plan to positively impact the business community. Some businesses have actually experienced decreased sales of up to 50 percent over the Christmas season due to crime,” he said.
In agreement was Couva/Point Lisas Chamber president Ramchand Rajbal Maraj, who said crime is scaring away businesses from this region. He called for an increase in police/army patrols.
“We would like to see improved manpower at the Couva police station as well as vehicles and the combination of police and army patrolling the streets. Community police must be visible,” Maraj said.
Both leaders agreed the government has to stop talking about diversifying the economy, and actually begin to move it away from a dependency on oil and gas.
“In light of the fact that government has been in office two years and change yet nothing has been done, and given the situation in oil and gas dependency there is no foreseeable light on the horizon. It is very difficult to understand what is the government’s plan to uplift the business community,” Sieuraj said.
He said a light manufacturing park should be developed in the region to encourage the movement away from retail into manufacturing. Maraj said the local cocoa and honey industries are prime candidates which could also bring in much-needed foreign exchange.
Sieuraj said the heads of several business chambers including Tunapuna, Cunupia Business Association, Siparia, Penal/Debe, Rio Claro, Chaguanas, and Couva/Point Lisas, would have a roundtable discussion on the Revenue Authority on January 17, at the Couva/Point Lisas office to discuss the potential impact the Authority could have on the business community.
