MSJ: Road Map team shows govt’s bias

POLITICAL leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah says the decision to have a Road Map Recovery Team means TT has missed an opportunity to undergo transformation.

The Prime Minister announced the decision at a press briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, on Thursday.

In a release on Friday, Abdulah said, “Every crisis presents an opportunity. The health crisis of covid19 has precipitated a global economic and social crisis. TT is neither immured to the health pandemic nor the economic and social crisis.”

He said the pandemic has created an opportunity to find solutions to the State’s “failure” to develop food security, wealth and income inequality, lack of opportunities for youths, to mend neglected communities, and fixing “an economy that is not diversified and which is still dependent on external factors such as oil and gas prices.”

He said the team did not suggest that any of the issues he raised will be addressed. He said it has too many people from the private sector and big businesses.

“There is nobody who can speak to the real-life problems of and solutions for the small man and woman who have micro, small and medium-sized businesses. There is nobody who can truly identify with the struggles of the tens of thousands of our people who on an almost daily basis have to find some change to put food on the table; or who live in communities that are discriminated against. The poor and the dispossessed have no voice, nor is there anyone on the team who actively works to empower the poor and dispossessed.”

He said he was also disappointed no members associated with agriculture, fishing and food production, and also the creative sector were included on the team, and he added that there is also a gender imbalance, as only three of the members are women.

He said these imbalances show the Government’s bias.

“The MSJ calls on the Government to inform the country of the terms of reference of the recovery team. A ‘road map’ assumes a start point and an endpoint – and the terms of reference will enable the population to have an understanding of what the intended objectives are and the process by which the ‘Recovery Team’ intends to achieve those objectives.

He said the MSJ will soon offer its own proposals for recovery, reconstruction and transformation.