THE mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects citizens’ lives and livelihoods is appalling and has caused major shockwaves across our economic climate.
The following are some of the major concerns:
The relief grant distribution and the suffering of citizens for basic food while some people double-dipped and other still have not received anything;
The state of Caribbean Airlines (CAL), its bankruptcy and demise in relation to closure of the borders; and
The mishandling and the chaos that ensued from the attempted mass distribution of vaccines across the country on June 9.
These incidents have the country questioning Government’s capabilities to effectively manage the country through the fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley apparently is not prepared to investigate the mismanagement of the discrepancies that were pinpointed in the Auditor General’s report in the distribution of the Covid-19 grant relief programme.
It is alleged that 2,672 persons received both the food support grant and the salary relief grant in the amount of $8.115 million. Many people still suffering from not receiving anything are wondering how this can happen. Many citizens are unable to access the relief grants via the National Insurance Board (NIB) or Ministry of Finance and therefore many are not able to pay rent, utilities bills or buy food at this time.
That’s why the opposition and the average citizen are clamoring for the Government to expand the utilities’ relief programme and many other relief programmes as it’s not reaching the people that really need to access it.
If the Government is not prepared to investigate the double paying of 2,672 persons under the salary relief grant and the food support grant, how can we get it right to further distribute to the less fortunate deserving citizens.
Then we have the Government “closed-border” policy which failed to protect us, and single handedly can be identified as being responsible for the decimation of CAL at this time, for which the tax paying Joe Public will have to pick up the bill.
Not to mention the pain and suffering of the retrenchments exercise that CAL has engaged in with a cost to taxpayers of the tune of $110 million.
The gross mishandling of the borders has caused the situation at CAL, which could have been spotted a mile away by any person. For instance, look at how Barbados, Jamaica and Grenada, as well countless other smaller islands have handled their situation.
They managed their border policy much better than us and now they opening up their borders, setting up a proper plan, ensuring within their bubble can travel to each other.
No not Trinidad and Tobago though, as we have not even been consider to be part of their bubble due to the fallout of our handling of our border controls.
Now to the fiasco that resulted in rollout of mass vaccination on June 9 to June 11. The suffering of our elderly citizens was heart wrenching. Imagine they were forced to line up in the hot sun, only to be turned away without getting vaccinated and possibly causing a super spreader.
These are just three examples of the failure of the Government which continues to condone dubious plans cause tremendous suffering to the average citizen in T&T.
We are at the bottom of the slippery slope! The good news is that once you reach rock bottom like this you cannot fall any further down the trench, so says any therapist in any rehabilitation centre.
We as a Nation have to stop placing total reliance on vapid, vacuous, inane, mentally bankrupt politicians of the day, who do not know their bottom from their elbow, to direct us like lambs to a slaughter at the door steps of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Yes, the big bad wolf is here, when it bites no member of cabinet will take responsibility for the economic fallout, the loss of your job, the loss of your home or your children not being able to access a tertiary education.
We all have to hold them accountable.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive, the North East Regional Coordinator of the United National Congress and a former chairman of NP. The comments and opinions expressed by him in this column are not necessarily those of AZPNews.com, a division of Complete Image Limited.
Commentary: Mishandling of Covid-19
THE mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects citizens’ lives and livelihoods is appalling and has caused major shockwaves across our economic climate.
The following are some of the major concerns:
These incidents have the country questioning Government’s capabilities to effectively manage the country through the fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley apparently is not prepared to investigate the mismanagement of the discrepancies that were pinpointed in the Auditor General’s report in the distribution of the Covid-19 grant relief programme.
It is alleged that 2,672 persons received both the food support grant and the salary relief grant in the amount of $8.115 million. Many people still suffering from not receiving anything are wondering how this can happen. Many citizens are unable to access the relief grants via the National Insurance Board (NIB) or Ministry of Finance and therefore many are not able to pay rent, utilities bills or buy food at this time.
That’s why the opposition and the average citizen are clamoring for the Government to expand the utilities’ relief programme and many other relief programmes as it’s not reaching the people that really need to access it.
If the Government is not prepared to investigate the double paying of 2,672 persons under the salary relief grant and the food support grant, how can we get it right to further distribute to the less fortunate deserving citizens.
Then we have the Government “closed-border” policy which failed to protect us, and single handedly can be identified as being responsible for the decimation of CAL at this time, for which the tax paying Joe Public will have to pick up the bill.
Not to mention the pain and suffering of the retrenchments exercise that CAL has engaged in with a cost to taxpayers of the tune of $110 million.
The gross mishandling of the borders has caused the situation at CAL, which could have been spotted a mile away by any person. For instance, look at how Barbados, Jamaica and Grenada, as well countless other smaller islands have handled their situation.
They managed their border policy much better than us and now they opening up their borders, setting up a proper plan, ensuring within their bubble can travel to each other.
No not Trinidad and Tobago though, as we have not even been consider to be part of their bubble due to the fallout of our handling of our border controls.
Now to the fiasco that resulted in rollout of mass vaccination on June 9 to June 11. The suffering of our elderly citizens was heart wrenching. Imagine they were forced to line up in the hot sun, only to be turned away without getting vaccinated and possibly causing a super spreader.
These are just three examples of the failure of the Government which continues to condone dubious plans cause tremendous suffering to the average citizen in T&T.
We are at the bottom of the slippery slope! The good news is that once you reach rock bottom like this you cannot fall any further down the trench, so says any therapist in any rehabilitation centre.
We as a Nation have to stop placing total reliance on vapid, vacuous, inane, mentally bankrupt politicians of the day, who do not know their bottom from their elbow, to direct us like lambs to a slaughter at the door steps of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Yes, the big bad wolf is here, when it bites no member of cabinet will take responsibility for the economic fallout, the loss of your job, the loss of your home or your children not being able to access a tertiary education.
We all have to hold them accountable.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive, the North East Regional Coordinator of the United National Congress and a former chairman of NP. The comments and opinions expressed by him in this column are not necessarily those of AZPNews.com, a division of Complete Image Limited.