KAMLA’S ELECTION BUDGET

PROPOSING solar energy, not light bulbs, the Opposition Leader on Friday sought to outshine the Government with a budget response which sounded like a manifesto for the 2020 general election.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused the "light bulb gang" of having “fumbled and stumbled” for four years without a plan, but that vowed a new UNC government will hit the ground running without a honeymoon period.

Alleging triteness in the budget, she said, “There was no imagination, no innovation, no creativity, no ideas, no vision.”

She said after spending $200 billion in its term, the Government in its final year has no fruits to celebrate, but is only saying, “Coming soon!” and “Stay tuned!”

“To every citizen I say, we can still save our country.”

Persad-Bissessar invited everyone to add to her National Economic Transformation Master Plan 2020-2025.

“I ask you to examine for yourself, the plans I have outlined for you. Talk about them. Debate them. Ask questions. Make suggestions. Get involved!

“Let us have a national conversation. Let us bring all the people into the process. This must not be just my plan. It must be our plan.”

She said this was a new political culture where the UNC tells its plans a year before elections, to be judged on concrete plans and a track record of delivery.

Persad-Bissessar gave ideas for the environment, individuals, business and governance. The spear-point of her plan were 25 items to be done in the first 90 days of a UNC administration, most regarding governance plus the environment.

“We will immediately ban all single-use plastic straws and mandate SWMCOL to develop a new national recycling education programme.

“We will repeal the property tax legislation. We will scrap the proposed revenue authority.”

Outstanding VAT refunds will be paid by interested from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund, while personal and corporate taxes will be lowered.

The Praedial Larceny Squad will be put into the police service.

“We will request both the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to prepare an action plan for issuing diaspora bonds to the TT diaspora community.”

More broadly, she proposed a solar city at Tamana and solar energy in homes, plus a science city at Couva, with one per cent of gross domestic product going to research and development. Saying public housing will have solar-powered lights and water heaters, she said, “All street lighting in new developments will be solar and/or wind powered.”

CEPEP workers will boost recycling and work in agriculture, she proposed. Persad-Bissessar suggested taxation be based on consumption not earnings, with zero VAT for exporters. Soldiers should work beyond the present retirement age of 45, she said, to use their training and knowledge.

Persad-Bissessar said some non-strategic state enterprises will be divested and turned into publicly-owned companies on the local stock market. “This will give citizens an opportunity to have a stake in their state enterprises, dramatically reshaping the notion of economic participation and wealth creation.”

She proposed to re-establish an iron and steel industry here. Persad-Bissessar said she would boost Tobago through a reliable seabridge, loans for hoteliers, duty-free designation, and a cruise ship complex/marina at Plymouth.

On transport, she promised a San Fernando to Mayaro highway, plus water-taxi hubs at spots from Felicity to Cedros. She vowed to lift agriculture by creating agricultural parks on 25,000 acres of Caroni lands to grow crops such as organic super foods.

“We will invite private investors to establish a new state-of-the-art cooperative sugar manufacturing company,” she said. She promised to increase local rice production and build a new rice mill. Persad-Bissessar also promised to boost the local livestock, dairy, goat, fishing, coconut, cocoa and lumber industries.

On the arts sector, she pledged a steelpan-making facility in Laventille, a creative arts street in west Port of Spain and a “Carnival in a box” promotion to overseas cities.

Otherwise, she criticised Imbert for allegedly trying to ferret out whistle-blowers revealing the sale of Clico assets. Asking why these were sold for $470 million less than expected, she said all documents should be disclosed, and the Integrity Commission must investigate. (
SEE PAGE 10) Persad-Bissessar light-heartedly likened Imbert to one living on Fantasy Island and promised to rescue him from floodwaters in her yellow canoe – referring to a photo on social media of Imbert apparently stranded outside his ministry on Independence Square. She touted her plans for the ICT sector, by quipping, “Imagine Camille opening a bank account from her mobile phone. Imagine Lester being stopped by a police officer, using his mobile phone to show proof of his driver’s permit.” On foreign affairs, she vowed to rekindle TT’s relationship with the US and the UK, and build links with the Netherlands, Israel and Philippines, and more broadly Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. She promised to set up funds for food security, infrastructure and climate, plus an economic strategy council.

Persad-Bissessar was often interrupted by banter from government MPs whom, at one point, she dubbed “maccomeh women,” while calling Fitzgerald Hinds “stupid.”