By Prior Beharry
CRIME is flowing more than water in Trinidad and Tobago.
This was the statement by Mayaro MP Rushton Paray during the Opposition press conference on Sunday.
He referred to the announcement that DESALCOTT will be shutting done for nine days from Monday, saying that this will worsen the water supply situation in central and southwest Trinidad.
Paray said there was a worse crisis than water and that was crime.
He said, “Under this government in 2024, I am sure you may not get water in your house, but I am also sure that you will get a bandit or two based on the operations of your government. Crime is flowing more than water today in this country.”
Paray said, “Last year, a record 600 people were murdered in Trinidad and Tobago. This is a tragic, frighting shameful record which we are on track to beat this year. Worse still, brazen home invasions are now a daily occurrence in our land.
“And I have been informed that many home invasions that are happening where they have been sexual assault of female victims, those home invasions go unreported because of the embarrasment of the situation involved. That is the nature of our situation today in T&T.
“Yet in your prime minister Budget contribution you offered no plan, no vison, and no hope to the people of our country who are being terrorised by criminals element.
“I want to remind Dr Rowley, that he is both prime minister and head of the National Security Council, and prime minister your first duty to the people of this nation is to keep all of them safe.
“The role of a prime minister is to lead a nation, to find ways out of any situation that we find ourselves in and chart a way forward for the citizens of our country. “
Paray said Dr Rowley was upset with his 2023/2024 Budget contribution that the People’s National Movement (PNM) government was following the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He said Dr Rowley loved to say that he was saving the country from the doors of the IMF.
Paray said, “Dr Rowley might not be opening the door of the IMF just yet, but certainly it looks like he is ringing the front bell.”
Referring to the IMF Trinidad and Tobago: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report, Paray said Article IV on the articles of agreement was compiled after a staff team visited the country, collecteds economic and financial information, and discussed with officials the country’s economic developments and policies.
Under “Policy Discussion”, Paray said Article IV noted: “Revenue mobilisation could be further enhanced by securing the operationalisation of ongoing fiscal reforms, including the Revenue Authority, the Gambling Bill, and the Property Tax.”
The Mayaro MP said the IMF also stated, “Staff welcomes the authorities’ proposal to increase the retirement age by five years to 65 years. This will support the sustainability of the system and pension adequacy.”
He said, “Does any of these things sound familiar to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. These are policy discussions that the IMF are engaging our technocrats. Other measures such as gradually increasing the contribution rate could also be considered.
“Does that sound familiar to anybody?”
Paray said, “The authorities indicated that the electricity and water tariffs reform is advancing and the rationalisation of transfers and subsidies to SOEs and other public bodies would yield significant savings.”
He said, “Dr Rowley is praising himself saying he is saving us from the IMF and on the other hand he is creating the TTRA, implanting the Property Tax , the Gambling Bill, and he restructuring WASA and T&TEC – all things taht came up in the IMF discussion.”
Paray said, “So Dr Rowley is telling this nation that he is not listening to the IMF, he is just doing everything they say to do. Just like when Dr Rowley told this country he was not closing down Petrotrin he was just sending home all the workers permanently.”
