Chambers plead with business owners: 'Report extortion to police'

BUSINESS owners should report instances of extortion to the police to allow the service to become more involved in tackling this type of crime.

This is the view of Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce head Kiran Singh and head of the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers Vivek Charran.

Their comments come after the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) last week revealed that 18 per cent of business owners have been asked to pay bribes, and 57 per cent said they are spending more on security and insurance because of crime.

Charran, a former chairman of the San Juan Chamber of Commerce, said while he never personally experienced such extortion, it is very common.

"It happens with a lot of different-sized businesses, mostly with small and medium businesses but not exclusively."

"Service industries, for example, people who do transport and stuff like that, they tend to have to deal with these things."

Charran commended the police for responding to such reports in 2023 but reiterated his call for a specific unit within the service to deal with extortion.

"Most of these extortions happen over the phone with threats being made."

He urged business owners, "The best thing to do is report it to the police. I know that in the past, many people would not have done so because of fear of what may happen to them..."

Singh also said he never experienced it and had not heard about it happening in south Trinidad.

But he said, "It sends a poor signal to central investors and businessmen in the country where criminal elements can tax businesspeople for honest earning and get away with it."

"That shouldn't be the case. It is unfair that this type of situation can continue to occur."

He called on the police to "become more involved," saying this type of extortion is more common at specific locations.

"That (location) has to do with why they (business owners) are taxed and how much they are taxed...Sometimes, it's about people from the community not getting employed (to work on particular projects or get contracts) that causes it..."

With over 30 murders for the year so far, both businessmen also commented on the Prime Minister's recent announcement that $100 million will be allocated to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) being deployed in certain communities where development was stymied by crime.

Singh said it is a good idea and that the business community has long been advocating for the army to be "put to more use within the local environment in which we exist.

"Armies are meant to stop foreign powers, (but) we can't prevent a foreign power from taking over the country if they wish to. We don't have those sorts of resources to protect ourselves, but right now, we need protection from ourselves..."

He said young people seem to gain some form of excitement from being in a gang and questioned not only where the guns they use are coming from but who is training them.

"It's easy to say, 'Point a gun and shoot', but it requires training. So who's training them? Because the ricochet from some of these guns can be very dangerous (to the user) if you don't know how to use it, and these youths are holding these things like playthings."

He said it is wise to go into communities as opposed to trying to remove people from their communities, as this may ensure more compliance.

"We should give it a chance, give the army a chance and go into their (young people's) comfort zone instead of trying to take them out of theirs."

If the latter is done, he said, "They won't be co-operative to new ideas, concepts and beliefs.

"Meet them on their turf. Show them you're there to help them."

Charran said it is always good to invest in crime fighting but money alone cannot solve the issue and that clear, well-thought plans need to be carried out.