Rishard Khan
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is committing to overhaul and redouble efforts to fight crime in 2023 and will begin with public conversations on the matter. This was the promise made in his New Year’s message to the nation.
The sun set on 2022 as the bloodiest in the country’s history with over 600 people being murdered. Public fear and concern has been growing as the bodies continue to drop. Addressing the issue yesterday, Dr Rowley said while crime was not a novel experience in T&T, this year’s incidents warrant a second look at the approach.
“In 2022, we continued to experience the relentless assault of the criminal element, resulting in a record number of murders, facilitated, and bolstered by other alarming incidents of crime, such as persistent gun running, institutional corruption and facilitation as well as the ever-present growth of gang activity in many parts of the country. Whilst none of this is new, it is clear that the scale and frequency of these negative strands of the fabric of our society require constant review and more robust targeted responses if we are to suppress and eradicate them from our future,” he said.
It is against this background that Dr Rowley said these increased efforts will be employed. He said they will be focused on five areas, the second of which was mentioned earlier this year but never materialised.
1. The utilisation of the considerable resource allocation to this sector.
2. The public health consideration of criminal conduct in our society.
3. A renewed attempt at parliamentary intervention in support of the work of agencies and institutions.
4. A continued identification and urgent support for “at risk” groups and expansion of the many youth development programmes.
5. Improvements in sustained and effective law enforcement.
He said this new approach will begin with public conversations early in the new year and will be followed by necessary interventions.
While he acknowledged the scourge of crime, Dr Rowley warned against reducing the country’s identity to just this.
“Some people may feel justified in seeing our existence only through the prism of the negative lenses, and believe that runaway criminality is the hallmark and highlight of our efforts, but I invite you to take note that our circumstances are not unique and that there is a whole lot of good that is Trinidad and Tobago, a lot of success that we have attained in a difficult period and a lot of good that we can look forward to in 2023 and beyond,” he said.
Dr Rowley also called on citizens to recognise their own civic responsibility and to do their part in helping in the fight against crime.
“Recognise crime as a public emergency in which every citizen has a part to play. If you see something harmful or threatening, say something. We have established safe channels where your information can assist. Hold up your patriotic and ethical duty to play an active role in society, by showing your participation and advancement for the common good of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
“Everyone has to be mindful, aware and alert to his or her role as a citizen, being physically, emotionally and mentally ‘in the now’ with deliberate, open and curious attention to better our country.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged there will be some challenges that will continue into 2023. He said while the country saw a budget surplus in fiscal 2021/2022 due to increased fuel prices because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, it has also caused increased global inflation. Despite this, he said the Government will continue to protect citizens against these increased prices.
“So, while we experience an improvement in our domestic balances, one of the highest risks to our well-being is global inflation, which, unfortunately, is touching the lives of every consumer in Trinidad and Tobago because we are part of this global economy and are not insulated from its myriad shocks,” he said.
“I assure you that in 2023 the Government will continue to contain high and rising prices which, I know, are eroding workers’ purchasing power and the value of their accumulated savings.”
He noted that despite the increased fuel cost T&T continues to enjoy some of the lowest energy costs in the region, and its fuel prices are still below comparable market prices. He added that while the country’s inflation rate is increasing, it is still well below what is experienced in many other countries.
So far, the PM said, we have been able to overcome the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we need to keep our eyes on the external confirmations that it is not over, given the recent surge of new cases in China, and the reported increase in hospitalisation in the United States. Even more concerning, he said, is that some travel restrictions have begun to be reintroduced in some parts of the world.
Beginning this week, the Government plans to ramp up its booster vaccination campaign, largely targeting the elderly and most vulnerable as well as the unvaccinated.