Presentation College wins LSA debate competition

The students discussed the issue of squatting and weather squatters should be made to pay it.

Yesterday, the team walked away with the grand prize of $3,000 in cash, a trophy, gold medals, and Ipad Pro tablets for each team participant, while St Augustine Girls’ High School came in second place and North Gate College placing third.

Sixteen secondary schools across Trinidad and Tobago participated in the competition by debating against each other on illegal squatting in TT.

Speaking at finals of the competition, held at the Government Plaza Auditorium, Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain, Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Marion Hayes told the students they were now armed with more information about the issue of illegal squatting, and encouraged them to act on it, and do what is right for the TT.

“Work with us to spread the message so that your generation and future generations can live with the assurance that our natural spaces will be here for a very long time for us to enjoy.

I am sure we have some future leaders and future change agents in our midst here today, and I look forward to you being part of more public awareness efforts of this nature.” Hayes noted that there are now 55,000 families who are illegally occupying state lands and the figure amounts to roughly 200,000 people.

She said an additional 1,000 new structures are being added to the landscape every year.

“While those who are occupying state land and those who encourage its manifestation, may believe that this seemingly innocuous act is just a ‘means to an end’ to provide shelters for families in need, the story doesn’t end there.

As you would have realised through your research for this debate, there are far reaching environmental, societal and infrastructural implications that are deep and which go past the average eyes.” Hayes said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the LSA, intends to engage other state agencies with a view to forging stronger strategic partnerships to curb further land grabbing.

She said the Government understands that shelter is important and what a comfortable home can provide for a family. “Our goal at the Ministry has always been and will continue to be, to create opportunities for deserving families, primarily the low and lower-middle income earners.

This is our policy directive, which we follow. We want everyone to lead decent, dignified and rewarding lives and we will continue to do our part to ensure that shelter remains a vital part of that equation.”