Caption: Anil Roberts being sworn in as Minister in the Ministry of Housing
By Alicia Chamely
IF you lost your job between 2015 and 2025 call the People’s National Movement (PNM) political victimisation hotline.
Minister in the Ministry of Housing Anil Roberts has fired back at the hotline set up by the PNM for those who have been let go or are in fear of being fired by the new government.
In response to the Opposition’s launch of the hotline, Roberts took to his social media vlog Doubles and Coffee on Tuesday to strike back at the PNM.
Roberts said, “To all those people who lost jobs during the PNM reign of terror for nine and a half years, look on the PNM page and call that number!”
He listed a series of economic and social events that took place between 2015 to 2025. These included the shutdown of the Petrotrin refinery, the reduction in the number of government scholarships awarded, the closure of small businesses due to Covid restrictions and later due to the inability to secure foreign exchange and reduction in social grants being offered to the public.
Roberts did not stop at just job losses. He urged people who had been victims of crime and/or lost a loved one to crime to call the hotline and complain to Balestier House.
The minister was not alone in mocking the hotline.
Circulating on social media was a parody flyer reading, “If you were one the of the 50,000 persons who lost their jobs between 2015 and 2025 under the PNM, please call the PNM hotline.”
The issue of job losses under the change of administration was first brought up by Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi, who made claims that he had received information that the government was planning to carry out mass layoffs at the Rural Development Company (RDC) and the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).
@azpnews.com Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen tells Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi to “take a rest.” She says jobs will be secured under the government. Video: Sue-Ann Wayow @khadijahameenbusiness @uncandproud @uncofficialtiktok @uncnationalyoutharm @the_unc_movement #employment #jobloss #statement #government #localgovernment
A back and forth between Al-Rawi and members of the government ensued, with Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen telling Al-Rawi to “rest” his mouth, during an interview with AZP news on Tuesday.
On Monday at a press conference at the Office of the Opposition, Charles Street, Port of Spain, Opposition Leader-Elect Penelope Beckles said the PNM had launched a hotline for government employees to call should they believe their jobs are at risk and they are being politically targeted.
