There is no crisis of confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago economy, according to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In her New Year's message, she said her administration has been approached by local and foreign investors who were willing to invest billions in this country. These investments, which are currently being considered by the Cabinet, do not require money from the Government and will not be a debt burden to the Treasury, she said.
Speaking about plans to boost the economy, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar declared: "In this New Year, the People's Partnership Government will ensure that the economy is further improved and stabilised to create more jobs, reduce the deficit and improve the quality of life of all our citizens." The Prime Minister said other developments show that T&T remains "a preferred destination for foreign investment." "Panama has approached Trinidad and Tobago for a partial scope agreement which will have positive implications for construction products and companies as well as the export of cement and asphalt," she said.
In addition, the Government is posed to introduce "a wave of economic measures that will create a heightened level of investor and consumer confidence." These include the award of new acreages for offshore drilling; employment generation through the free zone initiative announced in the budget; the fast tracking of plans for an integrated Chemical Complex; construction of the highway to Point Fortin; and construction of approximately 3,000 new homes.
While conceding that crime remains a major challenge, the Prime Minister vowed to "stop at nothing in ensuring this scourge is removed from our society to people can walk freely and without fear once again."
She said: "Only within the last 48 hours I have received, in response to my demand for action, a comprehensive outline of measures to be adopted in the New Year in the ongoing battle on crime as we implement a three-pronged attack on crime, viz, prevention, detection and conviction. "The details of some of these measures will be made known within the upcoming weeks, while others I am sure you will appreciate can only be seen as they are implemented." According to the Prime Minister, the Attorney General's Office is "working overtime" to introduce legislation to support the police and the criminal justice system.
She added: "Tough anti-gang legislation and the Bail Act are now before the Parliament as we up the ante in several areas to attack the crime situation head-on. Tough times require tough interventions.
"As a government we do not intend to shirk from our resolve to defeat the criminals." Persad-Bissessar said for 2011 the aim will be to "deliver, deliver, deliver to the people," and she assured that positive changes are already taking place to social systems and the way of life. Speaking with reporters at the Red House yesterday, the Prime Minister said this year she will seek to do more and better things for the people of T&T.
"In 2011, it will be less talk and more action," she said, adding that she would like to give a message of hope to the people of this country. "I really would like to see for 2011, for all of us, that we improve in our working together in very harmonious fashion, we put our shoulders to the wheel and transform T&T."
She stressed that transformation of T&T was her New Year wish for the country.