Caption: Colm Imbert. Photo: T&T Parliament
THE recent scaremongering claims by former minister of finance Colm Imbert regarding unemployment figures under the new administration are a mischievous attempt to sway public discourse.
In its blaring fashion, the People’s National Movement (PNM) continues to use its artillery of words to incite fear instead of engaging with facts.
To be clear, the latest available data from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) which is our country’s primary source for economic indicators, confirms that unemployment as of first quarter 2025 stood at 4.9%. This is not a dramatic surge. It is, in fact, a stabilised figure, despite the inherited fiscal and structural challenges that this new government has had to manage in only three short months.
We want to reject Mr Imbert’s assertions as baseless and lacking statistical backing. The claim of a doubling in the unemployment rate from 4% to 8% was not only unsupported by CSO figures, but devoid of context, has no methodology, just political exaggeration.
We must remember, it was under Mr Imbert’s own tenure that tens of thousands of jobs were lost across the energy sector, construction, agriculture, and manufacturing.
It is important to remember that it was under Colm Imbert’s administration as minister of finance that Petrotrin was shut down, a decision that put thousands of workers on the breadline and devastated communities that depended on the energy sector for their livelihoods.
That closure represented one of the largest mass job losses in recent history, yet today Mr Imbert attempts to lecture the country about unemployment, without acknowledging the lasting consequences of his own government’s actions. It is intellectually dishonest.
We must be guided by evidence, not emotion. In our the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, we are actively expanding job opportunities through targeted investment promotion, guidance opportunities for SMEs, and Forex generating sectors such as yachting, agro-processing, and digital services. These aren’t pipe dreams, they are live projects with real job creation timelines.
What we need now is less noise and more nation-building. The Opposition believes their job is to throw stones from a glass house and not to contribute responsibly to solutions. If they are genuinely concerned about the welfare of workers, then let them support initiatives like the “Buy Local, Build T&T” campaign or sit with us to discuss labour market flexibility and upskilling.
Several of our Government responses reflect the maturity this country deserves, measured, fact-based, and focused on the public interest. The real question is: when will Mr. Imbert and the PNM match that standard?
Neil Gosine is the MP for Chaguanas West and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism. He is an insurance executive, holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration, a BSc in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.
