Hands off the “small man’s“ money in the Unit Trust Corporation!
Voters must keep the United National Congress’ hands off of the people’s saving in the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation, which a UNC government plans to use to deal with T&T’s finances, says Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
He made the call at last night’s PNM Women’s Platform virtual meeting.
Rowley said the UNC had spoken about a “brainwave” to use UTC funds and National Insurance Board (NIB) funding to deal with T&T’s revenue situation. But he said the savings in UTC belong to the “little people, including women” and the population should ensure the UNC doesn’t play “fast and loose” by “putting their hands in the UTC" and using other people’s money as a solution for expediency to deal with T&T’s finances. He said the NIB is also precarious and the actuaries had noted that it will require interventions which will need hard decisions.
He warned the UNC’s plans would also devalue the currency, which will cause high food price hikes and increases across the board. He said women who managed the households will see the heavy impact of devaluation.
Rowley also reminded people to wear masks, use sanitisers and do social distancing to prevent COVID-19 spread. He said some who came in from abroad had wanted to go and visit friends while they were in quarantine and one person who entered T&T carrying the virus had “run up and down the country.” But he said Government has already brought in about half of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people who were abroad, although the Opposition leader had claimed 10,000 were outside the country still.
Rowley added, “Political hell hath no fury than a failed political leader, when she speaks of me the hatred drips, the scorn - it matters not to me. I’m not working for you, I’m working for the people and the women and children of Trinidad and Tobago.’’
“We love our black man Dr Rowley“ - Camille
Earlier, PNM’s Camille Robinson-Regis said, “I want to tell Kamla Persad-Bissessar - Dr Rowley is our black man in whom we of the PNM are very proud and in whom we repose confidence.
"We love our black man, we respect Dr Rowley and there is nobody in the UNC who I am sure can say of their black woman - he said she’s East Indian, and she’s black too - they can’t say of their black woman, they are proud of her and love or respect her. We can say without fear of contradiction our leader is a man we respect and a man in which we have pride!”
Attendees also observed a minute’s silence on the passing of PNM Port-of-Spain South stalwart Jean Elder, which Rowley said was the end of an era.
Rowley lauded all of PNM’s 14 female candidates, adding that the PNM would beat the competition “like a drum” in Tobago East particularly.