Chaguanas chamber calls for lockdown

This was disclosed in a release yesterday in which the chamber called for a national fund to be established by the Government for victims of terrorism, explosions and kidnappings.

The chamber also appealed for the provision of psychological support services. In a release, Chamber president Rudy Maharaj said, "Government’s inability to effectively deal with national security has caused millions of dollars of hard earned revenue to be spent in kidnapping ransoms, health care, and loss of limb and property that has never been accounted for to date."

He said recent records suggest that millions of dollars have been paid to kidnappers without being recovered. Maharaj questioned the failure of the National Security Minister, Martin Joseph, and others in authority to consider the use of marked currency in ransom payments in kidnapping circumstances.

He said the authorities should consider freezing the accounts of kidnap victims to "avoid the handing over of legitimate hard earned revenue into the hands of criminals and the underworld."