‘Come better than that’

UPDATE:

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said the Opposition and critics of government’s efforts to strengthen the economy are part of a group of “people in this country who just talk out of a hat.”

Before the House of Representatives approved the Mid-Year Review around 1.39 am yesterday, Imbert declared to subdued UNC MPs, “Come better than that. Come with somebody better than that!” He professed amazement that after 15 hours of debate, the Opposition demonstrated how clueless it is about the state of the economy.

“I gave actual figures,” he said. Imbert reiterated the forecast growth for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018 of 1.6 per cent and two per cent in 2019, by Standard and Poors (S&P), was the same as the GDP data he had. Imbert also said that all MPs knew the Central Statistical Office does not do GDP forecasts into the future.

Despite this, Imbert continued, the Opposition and other people are still asking him, “Where you get your figures from?” He identified UWI economist Dr Roger Hosein, former MP Indera Sagewan-Alli and former PNM minister Mariano Browne as references cited by Opposition MPs in their contributions. Imbert also referred to former Congress of the People (COP) senator Patrick Watson and economist Marla Dukharan. He claimed none of these people were unbiased.

Hosein, Imbert claimed, was a beneficiary of multi-million-dollar contracts under the People’s Partnership (PP). Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie admitted Hosein was one of several people who received contracts under the PP for the Action 2025 initiative. However, he insisted Hosein and the other economists involved in that project only received contracts for, “thousands of dollars.”

Imbert stood his ground and government MPs thumped their desks as he countered, “I stand by what I say. I take responsibility for what I say!” He then remembered Sagewan-Alli as an Opposition MP, when he was a minister in the Patrick Manning administration. Browne, he said, “surfaced on the other side, working against the Government of TT, trying to prevent taxpayers from getting back $23 billion put into the (Clico) bailout.”

The Opposition, Imbert continued, knew the $30 million increase being given to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Clico/CL Financial investigations was the result of efforts started in 2012 by then attorney general Anand Ramlogan. In passing reference to Dukharan, Imbert described her as someone trying to “peddle crypto-currency” in TT. He cited Watson as another person “regarded” as an economist.

Corruption allegations made by Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in his contribution, he said, were an attempt to revive the dead and the matter which Moonilal mentioned was first highlighted by former minister Jack Warner and was already proven baseless.

However, Imbert countered that the Opposition should answer questions about a February 2011 Cabinet minute which reportedly approved OAS Construtora, the former contractor on the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension, at $2 billion more than the tender. He opined the Opposition was “deadly scared” that the economy had turned around at the midway point in the Government’s five-year term.

After reminding MPs there are two more budgets and two mid-year reviews to come before a general election in 2020, Imbert said the Opposition could not take the heat. “You will have to bring Limacol and Panadol for them,” he quipped.

ORIGINAL STORY:

THE Mid-Year Review was passed in the House of Representatives at 1.39 am today, after 15 hours of debate which began at 10 am on Thursday. In concluding the debate, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said the fact the economy has turned around in the middle of Government's five-year term, has the Opposition United National Congress (UNC), "deadly scared."

With two more budgets and two mid-year reviews to be presented before general elections in 2020, Imbert said the UNC is seeing its chance of winning back government becoming slimmer.

"Bring Limacol and Panadol for them," he quipped to the amusement of Government MPs.

Imbert said the UNC and other commentators are part of a group of "people in this country who just talk out of the hat" without any facts or figures.