Not way for State to go

THE EDITOR: A report prepared by the Organised Crime and Intelligence Unit of the Police Service has linked the provision of state contracts to criminals with the country’s high crime rate.

This is not surprising. Our political system provides incentives to politicians to buy votes through welfare programmes. In turn, the millions of dollars channelled through the programmes are an incentive for gangs to fight in order to get these state contracts.

Given this, it is paradoxical to recommend, as many editorials, columnists and other commentators have done, that the solution to this problem is to have the State become even more involved in the provision of social programmes.

Funnelling more money into programmes to provide training or counselling will be ineffectual and present even more opportunities for corruption.

ELTON SINGH, Couva