Rambachan: TT traumatised by crime, unemployment

TABAQUITE MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan said because of the high crime rate and unemployment rate under the PNM Government, the citizens of this country are traumatised.

Rambachan was responding to Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald at the sitting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

McDonald said the PNM has been able to stabilise the economy despite limited resources and has created new job opportunities.

But Rambachan said the PNM was failing people, as the country continues to suffer.

Rambachan said, "The honourable member for Port of Spain South began her contribution by talking about the traumatised nation between 2010 and 2015 (when the People's Partnership was in power). I want to remind her that we have never seen trauma like we are seeing now."

He highlighted the number of people who were laid off from Petrotrin and TSTT.

"What is more traumatising than 5,000 persons got up and did not have a job to go to at Petrotrin? What is more traumatising than people went to work this morning (Tuesday) and 51 were laid off their job at TSTT, plus the other 500 that were laid off?"

The Tabaquite MP spoke about the crime rate, but said he was happy to see Gary Griffith in charge of the police.

"What is more traumatising than to have read in this morning's (Wednesday's) newspaper that they have reached 500 murders in TT? We wish, and I particularly wish Mr Gary Griffith the Commissioner of Police well, because I said in an interview that we needed an operational leader for the police service, and Mr Gary Griffith is proving himself to be an operational leader."

Rambachan said other crimes such as robbery are also too high, schools are still in disrepair and the roads are poor.