MSJ: We're no better off under PNM

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah says expect short-term "goodies" in next month's national budget.

Speaking to the media at the MSJ's office in San Fernando, yesterday, Abdulah said he did not want to speculate on what to expect on October 7, when Finance Minister presents the 2019/2020 fiscal package.

“With Local Government elections due this year, and general elections due next year, it is likely that the Government will use this opportunity to offer increases in various categories of social benefits purely to win votes,” he said.

He cautioned against getting "taken in" by the proposals. Abdulah pointed to the recent Economic Policy Report released by Central Bank for July in which it said inflation remained fairly low, but also reported that close to 1,000 people were retrenched.

He said people should measure Government's performance in economic management and policies by how they felt a year ago compared to three or four years ago.

“We have to measure the economic performance, not on the basis of simply figures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and inflation data, but rather how this impacted on peoples’ lives,” he said

“Peoples’ lives are not better today as a result of the PNM’s policies.

He said while inflation was low, the cost of living was going up while salaries remained the same.

“Ninety per cent or more of the population have not had an increase in salary in the last five or six years,” he said.

Abdulah said the MSJ was proposing a different approach to the national budget, including the way resources are allocated to the regional corporations. He also said there should be more capital assets owned by the regional bodies for infrastructure development because far too much money was going to contractors.

“We have to change that paradigm completely and ensure a more effective use of our resources,” he said.

The MSJ is also proposing subsidised day-care centres; focusing more on agriculture to reduce TT's food import bill, as well as a revamped school-feeding programme.