Kamla: Stricter measures will not ease people's suffering

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Thursday rejected calls from certain business organisations for stricter measures to reduce people's movement and curb the spread of covid19.

In a statement, Persad-Bissessar referred to discussions on Wednesday between the Government and representatives of the private sector about covid19 and the economy.

She said, "I agree with some of the very good points put forward by members of the business sector and I commend them for many of their helpful suggestions."

But, Persad-Bissessar added, "I firmly disagree with the calls for harsher lockdown measures against the working members of the population who are deemed non-essential workers."

She said, "Many of the businesses calling for harsher lockdown measures against the non-essential workers are in fact exempt and have been in continuous operation over the last four weeks, earning income."

Persad-Bissessar said non-essential workers "are already at their wit's end as to how they are going to meet their rent, light and water bills, mortgage payments, loan instalments, and even grocery bills at the end of the month."

In the current circumstances, she said, "It is apparent that we are not all in the same boat, only the same storm. Some have yachts, others have rafts, and others are drowning."

She identified the poor, construction workers, domestic workers, food service workers and migrants amongst the people suffering the most under the current restrictions."

Harsher lockdowns will not save them, only vaccines, and allowing them to work again under improved health guidelines will do so."

Persad-Bissessar claimed Government's "plans for relief are not on par with what is needed to immediately relieve the burdens borne by people."

She suggested a system be created to fast-track approval and disbursement of grants and other forms of assistance, to people most in need. She also suggested Government hold wider consultations with other groups such as religious bodies and local government corporations "for proper planning to save people's lives and livelihoods."

In a joint statement on Wednesday, after a meeting between the Government and the private sector, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the TT Manufacturers Association and the American Chamber of Commerce asked Government to "consider introducing additional measures to reduce the movement and interaction of citizens in the public domain over the next two weeks."

The groups, in their statement, identified no specific measure to achieve this. At a virtual news conference after the meeting, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said a suggestion of a 6 pm to 6 am curfew was made by the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA), but no decision was taken on it.