Ameen: Borough bill a rush job to seek votes

KHADIJAH AMEEN, St Augustine MP, says the Government rushed to bring a bill to turn Siparia and Diego Martin Regional Corporations into boroughs just to try to win votes in upcoming local government elections, but without understanding that a borough is supposed to be a small area of focused economic activity.

On Friday, the House of Representatives debated the Miscellaneous Provisions (Establishment of the Borough of Diego Martin and Borough of Siparia) Bill 2021.

Ameen charged, “The Government is rushing to pretend to care about local government because local government elections are due.”

Criticising the speech to pilot the bill just given by Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi, she quipped, “I had expected him to last a little longer.”

Saying New York City’s five boroughs and London’s 32 boroughs were so named for a specific reason, she said the Government had failed to say why Siparia and Diego Martin had been selected from amongst other regional corporations to receive borough status.

Ameen asked what methodological framework was used to choose Siparia and Diego Martin.

“What developmental studies and guidelines were utilised to make this decision? What consultations were conducted? The answer is none!”

She said borough developmental plans must tie into the national agenda to bring growth the the country while being sustainable.

“The minister failed to indicate to us how the change in status – from taking an eraser and rubbing off the name ‘regional’, and replacing it with the word ‘borough’ – would bring about greater economic, human and infrastructural development in Diego Martin and Siparia. How will this impact on the community?”

Ameen said if the Government wished to change the regional development plans for each of Siparia and Diego Martin, it must also change the national development plan for TT. Referring to the La Divina Pastora/Siparia Mai Festival, she asked, “What is the status of the roads to Siparia?”

Ameen recalled chairing Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation.

“I think the most densely populated regional corporation should be first on the list to become a borough.”

She said Al-Rawi had touted attractions such as the sea and shopping malls to advocate for Siparia and Diego Martin to become boroughs, but in fact those features were also present in Tunapuna/Piarco. Ameen said boroughs were “small, focused areas of development” and were geographically smaller than regional corporations, so it made no sense to designate a very large area a borough, but perhaps a hub within that area could be made into a borough.

She said Chaguanas was deservedly made a borough in 1990 because it was a clear growth pole, rather than the beneficiary of a mere name change.

Ameen recalled Kairi Consultants had once done local-government strategic-development plans, and wondered whether these would be upgraded after any “superficial name change” under the bill.

“The Government is putting the cart before the horse at this time.”