Kamla slams Govt on crime

“When they were in Opposition, they would hold press conferences saying they could solve all the problems in the country including crime. Now they are in power they cannot solve crime,” Persad-Bissessar said, adding that murders have left ordinary citizens in fear for their lives.

Addressing a local government election campaign meeting on Tuesday evening at the Arena Community Hall in Freeport, she said that the amount of persons murdered far exceeded the amount of days gone in this year. She claimed that statistics presented to her, showed that 438 persons were murdered so far in 2016. She said that citizens could express their disapproval of the government’s performance by voting against the PNM in the upcoming local government election.

She also criticized government’s decision to defer debate regarding the collection of taxes, including alcohol and tobacco taxes, and signalled that this could be challenged in the courts. “They are boasting of what they collect and what they did not collect. Now the law makes provision where the (Finance) minister must come to Parliament to get approval from all elected members. This is how democracy works and this is how it has worked for centuries in the UK where we inherited our Westminster System of democracy,” she said.

“Now they summoned all members of the Senate on Tuesday only to postpone the hearing. They now say they don’t have deal with tax bill, and they have four months to do this. But they are collecting taxes (in the mean time). And I am wondering whether these taxes are legal.” Persad-Bissessar noted that the Central Bank was recording its lowest ever ratings which would translate into “more job losses and bigger taxes.” Government, she said, has no plan in sight on how to create jobs and how to grow the economy,” Persad- Bissessar claimed.

She later endorsed the UNC’s local government candidates Anil Balliram (Freeport/ Chickland) and Vishan Mohammed who is contesting for St Mary’s/ Carlsen Field.