Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says there is an old age pension racket taking place in T&T. Rowley was speaking at a public meeting of the People's National Movement (PNM) in Enterprise, Chaguanas on Monday. He said he was informed that T&T nationals who lived abroad and were not entitled to that payment were claiming it.
"Many persons, I am told, have their pensions elsewhere but they are nationals of T&T, they can come home (and) get registered and they can now be on the $3,000 pension," he said. Rowley said the State must look at the matter to ensure the abuse was reduced or eliminated. Rowley said crime would not be reduced in T&T by "hanging a few people." He also declared his interest in becoming the next prime minister of T&T at the meeting.
Rowley said if he were to become the next prime minister of T&T, he would establish a new policy for the education system "where we will direct more resources to the younger people in the national population." He said any attempt to deal with the crime problem in the long-term must focus on the children at primary schools across the country. He said there was a serious problem at the nation's primary schools.
"And there is no way we can treat with this on-going crime problem at the top, in the court house, in the gallows, unless we treat with that problem in the primary schools," Rowley insisted. He said a lot of the problems were caused because of an inadequate social support system. He said a new PNM Government "will take a special and specific interest in primary school teachers and social support systems for the students."
He said T&T would stand a much better chance at successfully dealing with the crime problem if the matter can be addressed at the primary school level. Rowley also said he fully supported any moves by the Government to ensure the children of members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen were incorporated in the school system. He said they should not be made to suffer as a consequence of the July 1990 attempted coup.