Chamber hits out at petty politics

THE BUSINESS community has made it clear to government it would not allow “petty politics” to destroy its investment in this country, according to Christian Mouttet, head of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Mouttet, in an address to business leaders at the Chamber’s 125th anniversary function Wednesday night, said, “We as business people and citizens of this country have far too much at stake to allow politics to destroy our future and with it, all of our hard work that has gone into building this country.” He said the men and women who sit in our nation’s Parliament were all elected officials, whether in Government or Opposition and have a collective responsibility to the people that put them there. “Our message to you is to do your jobs, think long-term, have the courage to make the difficult (choices) and forget the politics,” said Mouttet.

Mouttet said Trinidad and Tobago had been experiencing an unprecedented level of lawlessness that has gone unchecked and he reiterated the Chamber’s support for the Police Reform Bills and any legislation that will bring greater accountability and management capability to the Police Service. He described as deplorable the lack of support for this piece of legislation. However, the Chamber does not accept that a country the size of Trinidad and Tobago, with its wealth and resources, was incapable of addressing the crime problems with or without the passage of the Police Reform Bills. Mouttet reminded the gathering of the Chamber’s own initiative at fighting crime called Crime Stoppers. He lauded Government’s announcement to extend funding to this programme during the next fiscal year to $4 million, which he believed was the State’s way of recognising the success and effectiveness of the programme.