Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said last night despite grim outlook for revenue from the oil and gas sector, more than $113 million will be spent to buy new spy tools for the police service. It was one of the few announcements of expenditure, in an address which focused on new revenue generating projects and international and regional energy partnerships.
During his 37-minutes address Rowley said the government believed that with proper management systems and a “can do” attitude that police officers had it within them to get the job done. The country murder rate has galloped to 319, with the majority of crimes unsolved.
Rowley has faced much criticism from citizens for not getting a handle on crime and he recently summoned the divisional heads of the police service to do more. In an immediate response to Rowley address, retired oil sector employee Emmanuel Brown said he was not impressed with Rowley’s announcements.
The father of three and grandfather of two, felt the Prime Minister had neglected health, agriculture, crime and housing.
“I would like to see a government do and not say. Nothing was mentioned about diversifying the economy through agriculture. He made no mention of our worsening health care system,” Brown said.
“What Rowley spoke about with the energy sector would not happen overnight. This was just a precursor to the budget,” he said.
Brown said the country wanted to know when the homicide rates would start going down and the detection rate would improve.
“We need to know how they are going to treat with crime which was not mentioned.”
Brown also criticised the length of time it would take for projects to be implemented. Referring to the multi-million dollar hotel project by Gordon “Butch” Stewart to develop a Sandals resort on No Man’s Land, off Tobago, Brown was not too thrilled.
“Sandals will take very long to unfold at least three years to get off the ground by then, if they don’t nip crime in the bud those rooms will remain empty because we will lose investor confidence and tourist arrivals in Tobago.”
Despite his reservations about the contents of the address, he applauded Rowley’s decision to communicate with the country.
“It was not a bad put together address. Rowley has to communicate with population more frequently.”
While Rowley last night urged the population that they had “a golden opportunity” to capitalise on the government’s confidence and ability, he simultaneously warned of a need to further tighten their belts. The address comes ahead of the Budget for fiscal 2016-2017 which is expected to be presented in Parliament by month’s end.
Other observers found that the sting will come in the tail of the budget and Rowley was just softening the blow. Rowley painted a picture of an economy that had slowed down due to low energy prices.
“For the last ten years we have been sitting on a crisis in the oil production side and we have allowed it to escape us largely because the situation has been masked by relatively strong revenue stream bolstered largely by favourable prices. The situation can no longer escape our attention and sustained lower prices now and into the medium term should be a matter of great concern to all of us.
“It also means that our challenges today cannot be wished away by simply waiting on the oil God, who is supposed to be a Trini, to step in and save us,” he said.