Many people are grateful for URP

THE EDITOR: I listened to the news on Saturday and was appalled to hear what our dear former Prime Minister had to say. He was dissuading young people who were in attendance at a Career Fair organised by the UNC-controlled Naparima Area to take up part time jobs such as URP and CEPEP. He stated that these type of jobs were a waste of one’s time. Yet he proceeded to reminisce about his life in London. He stated that upon arriving in London, he had only twenty pounds in his possession. So in order to survive he had to take every job imaginable. Is he feeling OK? What in heaven’s name is wrong with CEPEP and URP? Doesn’t he know that the hours are 6 am to 12 noon? An individual can therefore still have time to do their studies after work. I think he is just bashing. You know politricks.

Obviously he is an empty vessel — all noise. I am thankful for CEPEP and URP. I rent rooms and two of my tenants are employed by these programmes. Mr Panday also said that race was an issue in order to get these jobs. I would like Tobago and Trinidad and the rest of the world who read these letters to know that this is not so. I am an Indo-Trini and the tenants who work are the same, even the Muslimeen who running the contract is an Indian from Beach Camp.

MISS HOSEIN
Phillipine