Minister: Crime on us like a thief in the night

Crime has grown up on the population of Trinidad and Tobago like a thief in the night so it will take some time to address it. “It must not consume us, looking to run where there is no place to hide,” according to Senator Christine Sahadeo, Minister in the Ministry of Finance. At the time she was delivering the feature address at the Annual Christmas Dinner of the Greater Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce at Kam Po Restaurant, Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas on Friday night. At the dinner, three persons were honoured — Wilbur Balgobin, CEO of Willie’s Ice Cream; Harry Seeteram of the West Indies Stock Brokers and Kewall Singh of Singh’s Automotive Spare Parts and Accessories, Chaguanas.

Continuing her address Senator Sahadeo said that “Trrorists and criminals have us all on edge and eating at each other whilst they have a field day. It may appear as if they are winning but they can only win if people like you and me allow them to.” She added: “They are too few in number to terrorise the majority.” She called on the members of the Chamber for support in the fight against crime and at the same time reminded them that there are many other good things in the world to celebrate. “We can approach life as a pessimist or as an optimist but I prefer the latter. I believe that real difficulties can be overcome and it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable,” she said. The minister also touched on the question of Caroni’s Restructuring Programme and said that lands in excess of 77,000 acres would be transferred to the State. “Those lands would be leased to individuals and corporate institutions in accordance with Government’s land use plan and the Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd was established with a mandate to stimulate economic activity by developing certain lands in the areas of agriculture, housing and light manufacturing,” she said.

In that regard, Sahadeo said, it was expected that there will be a burst of economic activity within Chaguanas and the surrounding areas, and the business community and residents of Chaguanas stand to benefit from such development. She believed that the prosperity of businesses is inextricably linked to the prosperity of the community in which they operate. She also felt that business and the community must forge a true friendship and work hand in hand looking out for each other every step of the way for progress to be made. “If one stumbles on the way, we must all step in and lend support and embrace the members of the community and grow and propser together as no one must be left behind.” She appealed to members of the Chamber to take a leading role in the promotion of sports and community development projects, moreso, in light of many social problems being faced by the borough of Chaguanas. The minister said that there was need to build a community spirit so that everyone would feel accepted and proud to be burgesses of the fastest growing centre in Trinidad and Tobago. She stressed that homework centres must be developed in the community to assist children whose parents work so that there could be a greater degree of control over the activities of those children.