One of the country’s main business organisation—The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce says there was a sense of hopelessness seeping through the country and it wants the Government, through the agencies of the national security, to use every available human and technical resource to effectively and efficiently stem the already high incidence of homicide and serious crime in the country.
In a statement issued on Monday, the T&T Chamber noted that over the past week citizens have had to endure the all too painful and sobering reminder that crime continues unabated in our nation.
Sadly, it said, “while this phenomenon is not new, from time to time, a particularly heinous act of criminality forces those of us who live and work here to collectively and vociferously voice our outrage as was witnessed this weekend at the Nelson Mandela Park in St James.”
The Chamber recalled that in early September it had fully supported the commendable efforts of the Government and the Opposition as they pledged to employ a collaborative approach to fighting crime.
Since that time, however, it said “it appears that little to no meaningful change has occurred.” The Chamber noted that there have been “a sharp escalation in the number of disturbing incidents, compounded by continued low detection rates of less than 25 per cent.”
The Chamber has categorically denounced “the cowardly acts of injustice against members of the business community, and by extension, everyone who has had their right to safety and security trampled upon by perpetrators bent on disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens.”
In light of this, the Chamber said the Government must use every resource at its disposal to stem the crime situation. It said immediate action was clearly warranted to maintain law and order, “in the face of a creeping sense of hopelessness.”
The Chamber reiterated it stands ready to assist as a national stakeholder in all key issues directed at the sustainability of “our economy, and the security and well-being of our people.
