Trinidad and Tobago needs better leaders

Steve Alvarez
Steve Alvarez

THE EDITOR: Running a country is no easy task. It takes wisdom, commitment, patience, a pragmatic approach to issues, a genuine love for people and the personality that can easily but strongly negotiate with international partners.

Leading Trinidad and Tobago has not only been my lifelong dream, but it has also been my commitment to my creator. The price of staying the course, never compromising my values for personal gain, and remaining sincere in my endeavours have been costly. I am seen as anti-PNM, anti-UNC, anti-Indian and anti-African, when in fact all I have been is pro the people of TT.

I remain baffled by nonsense that passes for governance. Walkouts of Parliament have become an ongoing joke, empty promises are commonplace and the total disregard for the poor and struggling is pathetic. The road from Princes Town to Moruga is riddled with potholes and landslides. Rather than have the competent contractors like Coosals and Jusamco fix the roadway and repair the landslides, there continues to be the employment of small contractors who apparently lack the expertise and equipment to repair the roadway efficiently and effectively.

How difficult is it for the Government to take a position that cable and copper thieves would be expeditiously processed through the courts and the penalty would be mandatory imprisonment for a minimum of five years? This can be followed up by a mandatory directive to TSTT and similar utilities to remove all unwanted cables from the utility poles within six months. These companies can give special contracts to scrap iron operatives to safely remove the unwanted cables.

Once again there is the reluctance to issue government manufactured vehicle licence plates. There is absolutely no reason for TT to remain one of the few countries where anyone can make a licence plate and put it on one’s vehicle. That matter can be fixed in a matter of weeks.

Reaching out to gangs and youths and offering alternatives to crime through music, sports, agriculture, tourism initiatives, manufacturing, construction and park and beach security will have long-term benefits through secured employment, crime reduction and an enhanced tourism package.

Making payment for government services available online and transforming from paper to electronic processing for many government services can be easily done. Renewing one’s driver’s licence, passport application, scanning one’s passport and taking the information electronically rather than filling out forms at the airport and paying for national insurance and taxes can all be completed electronically. These simply require getting the software and operating systems from the many countries where secure electronic processing is commonplace.

It is untenable that there continues to be such a delay in accessing justice. That single issue has attracted international attention, yet nothing is being done to decrease the time one accesses justice.

The solutions to these and the many issues plaguing TT lie with our ability and conviction to put country first and elect better leaders.

STEVE ALVAREZ

via e-mail

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"Trinidad and Tobago needs better leaders"

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