NO REAL MEASURES TO DEAL WITH CRIME

"It is about time that every Tom, Dick and politician realise that they have been put there by the people, for the people, to serve the people. So far, all 36 Members of Parliament have failed the people," Mouttet told members of the business community attending a post-Budget panel discussion at the chamber’s head office in Westmoorings.

Mouttet told panellists, including Minister in the Ministry of Finance Conrad Enill, that the business community had not heard any "effective immediate solutions to the scourge of crime that faces us all."

In his presentation, Enill said the security services were doing the best they could, but given the present system in which they operated, were unable to deliver what was required.

"The system cannot deliver in the way you are looking for it to do," he told business people.

In his Budget presentation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said the Government was going to bring in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Scotland Yard to deal with crime.

On this, Mouttet said while the Government recognised the need for foreign assistance, "the level of assistance remains ambiguous and merely scratching the surface."

"We would have liked to have seen a passion and urgency for the issue of crime as that demonstrated for illegal gambling."

He said while Manning indicated that he was investing money "for the people, saving some for the people, and spending some for the people, it is abundantly clear that they are not looking after the safety and security of the people."

He cited as evidence the fact that only ten minutes out of the three-hour Budget was spent on crime prevention, detection and solution.

The current crime situation, Mouttet said, was hampering the country’s ability to achieve its development goals, noting that the business community was "particularly incensed that Manning failed to demonstrate any sense of urgency on the issue of crime and the security of the nation."

Mouttet said the most critical issue facing people now was that they were unable to operate in an atmosphere of safety and security, adding that the chamber was waiting to hear how National Security Minister Martin Joseph was going to spend the $2.9 billion allocated to his ministry.

He said while the $34 billion Budget appeared to be addressing the basic needs of people, it was short on implementation strategies to deliver results in health, education and infrastructure.

The chamber, he said, welcomed the reduction of Corporation Tax to 25 percent and the simplification of the personal tax regime.

He lauded the Government for ditching its retroactive tax proposal on energy companies, but criticised the proposed revision of the Petroleum Tax Regime, stressing that it was a disincentive for small oil producers.