Saith: $850M stadium not a drain

THE $850 million sport complex proposed by the Government for Tarouba will not divert money from the police, said Minister of Public Administration Dr Lenny Saith. He was responding to claims by some 17 business associations that the money would be better spent to tackle the crime upsurge. The group includes eight chambers of commerce, the Bankers’ Association, the Association of Insurance Companies of T&T (ATTIC), the T&T Manufacturers Association (TTMA), the Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association and business associations of Arima, San Juan and Downtown Port-of-Spain.

Yesterday three Government Ministers held an afternoon news conference at Whitehall to back the sport complex. With Saith were Minister of Sports Roger Boynes, and Minister of National Security Martin Joseph, as well as Sports Company chairman, Gerard Ferreira. Saith countered the business sector’s concerns that the complex would deprive the protective services of funds, and said the Ministry of National Security is not starved of money. He added: “We are not in a zero-sum game.” Saith said the complex could help cut crime by getting youngsters involved in sport and by creating jobs in its construction phase.

“It’s all a long term attack on the things leading to crime.” He said the $275 million cricket stadium within the complex, to be named after Brian Lara, was part of the country’s obligation to host the 2007 World Cup Cricket competition.  As for the $850 million price tag, Saith said this sum would not be spent in a year, but over a period, with expenditure each year only being $100-$150 million. Roger Boynes said the business sector misunderstood his plans. He said the complex would take sports to “the next level.”

“We operate on the basis of a national sports policy. We have had consultations on sports policy,” he said. Boynes added that sport brought health, social and economic benefits. Whenever sport tournaments were held in communities, he said, crime went down. He said the Government was building five other sports complexes at Diego Martin, Mahaica, Toco, Pleasantville and Santa Cruz, plus three indoor facilities elsewhere.