The Supermarkets Association of T&T (SATT) has recommended that plans to support the crime-fighting efforts of the T&T Police Service (TTPS), including making firearms users’ licences (FUL) available to those who qualify, be included in the 2024 Budget
SATT president Rajiv Diptee said these were among the recommendations made for inclusion in the fiscal package to be presented by Finance Minister Colm Imbert on October 2.
Citing T&T’s crime crisis, the murder rate, and attacks on businessplaces, Diptee said FULs are needed.
“We need to know improvements that are being made for resourcing TTPS and local community police whose input is vital. We often hear about the police lacking resources,” he said.
“The public needs to hear what’s being done on plans to support the authorities’ anti-crime battle on citizens’ behalf, including making FULs available to business people who fulfill the requirements. If one satisfies this, in Trinidad and Tobago’s high-risk environment, we would like to know we can get FULs. There’s a high incidence of people being targeted or attacked by criminals. They’re coming in places armed and holding.
“We also need to hear how corruption in the police service is going to be dealt with and there’s a need for tax breaks on security equipment beyond cameras.”
Diptee said supermarkets continue to feel that the economy is still in recovery after the pandemic and there is a need for spending to “energise the landscape”.
SATT would like to see a reduction in corporate taxes and for attention to be paid to Customs’ overcharging on containers.
“Also, attention is needed to approve plans at Town and Country. Planning approvals processes are tedious and slow,” he said.
“It’s also been brought to my attention that duties and taxes on supermarket equipment have increased and the sector desires that this be revisited.”
He called for greater efforts in the agriculture and agro-processing sectors to reduce the food import bill. SATT also suggested that attention be paid to infrastructure in communities.
“If something is given back that will be great. There’s also need for training courses. The National Training Agency started and stopped,” Diptee said.
Budget must address water crisis
Princes Town MP Barry Padarath wants Imbert to address government’s debts to T&TEC and WASA, state how the Government intends to boost water production in light of the continuing water crisis, and detail major infrastructural works in the public utility sector.
He said that for WASA and T&TEC to survive, the Government must settle billions of dollars in arrears to both companies. Padarath recently received information from the Public Utilities Ministry that $1.4 billion was owed by state agencies to TTEC as of May 31. He said any move to pass on that burden to consumers “would be resisted.”
“The minister must articulate a clear path to addressing the debts of the State to critical institutions. These debts have state companies in their current dire situation today. The Budget shouldn’t be used to impose further hardship on citizens, particularly in the public utilities sector, when citizens are already being asked to pay for a service that many don’t satisfactorily receive.
“Government shouldn’t implement any new rates for WASA and T&TEC at this time but instead make the state companies viable and sustainable organisations by paying their debts to them,” Padarath said.