There are always unintended consequences of our actions. The big picture lessons of the brouhaha around Gabriel Faria’s WhatsApp message are that the private views of public officials are seen as expressions of the organisation, and that business survival post-Covid-19 requires aggressive strategies by the government.

Gabriel Faria spoke his truth inappropriately and he is enjoying (sic) the consequences of his action. His truth however, has once again highlighted a number of issues which require urgent consideration and a plan for business continuity.

First, it is unreasonable to calculate second quarter 2020 taxes using 2019 data because there was no income in 2020. We were all hiding from Covid-19 and carefully obeying the government’s instructions, so demand for goods and services was significantly reduced or non-existent.

The same government who asked landlords to be reasonable with their tenants is now being unreasonable with respect to quarterly taxes from the business community.

Second is the issue of unpaid VAT, which is now being compounded by the fact that businesses have issued invoices but the money is not being received. They are however expected to pay the VAT on those invoices.
VAT guidelines were set up in happier times when a complete lock down of the country was not anticipated.

The government has an opportunity to review their position and take urgent action to throw a lifeline for businesses to continue operating.

The government has identified a number of initiatives aimed at supporting businesses which have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic—but the roll out has been painfully slow while the bank charges are accumulating.

Many landlords have also not been accommodating with their rental expectations, as suggested by the government. The point is that expenses have continued while income has not, so it’s almost impossible to honour commitments.

If we are serious about recovery, our most important task is do what we can to keep businesses alive. That begins with an open discussion in a safe space where business people feel no fear of repercussions for their honesty. A collaborative approach may yield an outcome which has so far not been contemplated.

To the person who shared that WhatsApp message with the Prime Minister: I hope you are sleeping well and can look Gabriel Faria in the eyes next time you see him. Several WhatsApp groups operate according to Chatham House rules which date back to 1927 and were designed to encourage a free flow of information and discussion, with participants being duty-bound to protect the identity and affiliation of the authors.

Maybe you are unaware of the expectations of honourable persons and felt the need to ingratiate yourself to the prime minister; but right now you should be on edge because it is only a matter of time before the ‘truth is out’ and you are identified.

As for the prime minister, his actions have cut off the potential for future supply of critical information which could be used strategically.

When the crowd took a knee and held it in silence for 9 minutes I knew I was amidst a sea of young persons who were sending a message that the time for change is now.  The #ttblm movement gathered peacefully in the Queens Park Savannah, chanted and spoke their truth.  For 3 ½ hours the young campaigners shared stories with the crowd and in the background drivers popped their horns in solidarity as they drove past the US Embassy. 

I have nothing but admiration for these young people who dared to uncover the pus-filled lesion which their parents and grandparents have plastered over for many years. Looking around the crowd the variation in the hue of the campaigners gave me a peek into what the future of Trinidad and Tobago will look like.

As an older person, I felt proud of their bravery.  The only low point to the demonstration was the absolute show of force by the TTPS who lined the pavement opposite the US Embassy with their guns and horses on display clearly intending to show off their power. One cannot help but feel intimidated in the presence of such a show of weapons.   This was aggravated by the “gayelle styled” movie crew who began videotaping the crowd.  The Speaker on the megahorn asked the videographers to stop but this request was ignored. The videotaping continued albeit appearing to take low shots so that faces may not have been identified.  There was no attempt to de-escalate the situation.  As a matter of fact, I felt that actions of the TTPS were unfortunate and could have infuriated the crowd.  The presence of the Commissioner of Police made no difference.

I have learned from other situations that protests and demonstrations can be quickly become volatile.  I commend the young people for their exemplary behaviour and hope that in the future, the TTPS will respect their wishes not to be documented and dial back on this need to show force.  Peace and non-violence were recurrent themes of the demonstration and every effort should be made to keep it peaceful. I noted that not one piece of garbage was left in the area. Our future is looking bright.

Years ago, one of my mentors advised me that as a then public relations professional, I could not separate my private life from my public persona—so I had to be on my guard at all times.

There is timeless value in this advice and it is even more important as we live our lives under the microscope of social media in a deeply divided small state.  The recent post by head of corporate communications at taxpayer-owned Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) was unfortunate and unnecessary.

Professionals know that actions on Facebook often end up in traditional media, so they must be wary of what is intended for public consumption. It is reported that Miss Dionne Ligoure said: “it will be unpretty when I start to pelt out facts and quote some of yuh high ranking officials…”

She is now reminded that approximately 350,000 taxpayers who contribute to her salary voted for the UNC, and, like the PNM supporters, there is an expectation of neutrality.

This expectation of political neutrality for public servants and persons employed in publicly-funded organisations is a long-standing tradition. In one action, Ligoure has brought attention to a deep flaw in our political system, which is the reality that some people believe that when their party is in charge they can do anything without consequences.

We have become accustomed to party supporters being appointed to boards but some of us still hope that executives and employees find their way into state corporations based on merit, and that they keep their jobs based on performance.

The reality though is that the long arms of politics reach into the bowels of organisations, resulting in some employees feeling the need to spout their partisan support for the world to know. Had this exact situation occurred in the private sector, I assure you that she would have had to explain herself to her supervisor—as former employee of US firm Franklin Templeton Amy Cooper found out, though not for political reasons.

Spouting your political views on your personal page is neither a smart nor strategic move. Bosses and others take note and wait for the opportunity to use your statements against you. They apply labels which are hard if not impossible to remove. They may even actively prevent you from benefiting from certain opportunities.

Carrying the title ‘head of corporate communications’ has tremendous responsibility. The incumbent plays a key role in shaping the perception of the company in the minds of shareholders, employees, customers and the general public. The reporting relationship is often to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors.

The communications professional is expected to help the company craft key messages and keep on the cutting edge of the field. These are not responsibilities to be taken lightly. They are also  responsible for building customer loyalty, growing brand awareness and engaging stakeholders at different levels.

In one rant on social media, Ligoure has diminished her role and reputation amongst a large section of the population. She will be labelled as anti-UNC with an agenda to use information attained through her formal role to throw shade or even cause reputational damage to unsuspecting citizens.

Communications professionals develop trusting relationships with their stakeholders to foster mutual understanding—to act otherwise is to destroy countless years of hard work by persons who have gone before.

We must do better.

“What is your miracle wish for WASA?” I once asked a former Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) CEO.

“To convert my consumers into customers,” was the response.

More than 15 years later, another well-wisher bites the dust because of his desire to do the same thing. Both instances occurred under PNM administrations.

The fired CEO explained to me that there was a difference between a consumer and a customer. He said that a consumer can enjoy the use of a product or service but a customer must pay for that product or service in order to enjoy its use.

He explained there were just too many consumers and not enough customers paying for water. Things have changed at WASA and today many more persons will be described as customers, but the problem remains that there is a significant gap between the price we pay for water and the cost of providing the service.

Metering is the sensible business solution but that’s not going to happen before the next general elections and will be abandoned as some other administration’s problem.

If I accept the contents of former minister Robert Le Hunte’s resignation at face value, then he was on to a good thing for our country.

The message that the freeness must end will not be communicated by pleas and chats without firm action. For example, our level of compliance with Covid-19 rules increased when the enforcement became evident.

The alleged reference by the prime minister to the cost of water as the reason for water riots of 1903 is not the whole story.

A manuscript by KO Laurence titled ‘The Trinidad Water Riot of 1903—Reflections of an Eyewitness’ states that “the immediate cause of the Water Riot was the introduction into the Legislative Council of a new Waterworks Ordinance which was the focus of violent agitations. That agitation can only be explained in terms of a long history of dissatisfaction with the city’s water supply.”

So our dissatisfaction with an unreliable water supply is a historical problem of over 100 years, and which must be solved.

In my own lifetime, I have followed the accusations time and time again that successive governments have redirected water to favoured locations at the expense of others. ‘Water is Life’, as one of the previous WASA slogans stated goes beyond sloganeering. Wilfully denying people access to water is inhumane, unproductive and scandalous.

If, as his letter says, the goodly minister of public utilities had been working with the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ministry to implement the metering project, then we have lost an opportunity to fix a highly politicised institution, which masquerades under the guise of a public utility providing an essential service.

Imagine the transformation opportunity which could have resulted from current WASA workers coming together around the goal of metering by 2022 or whatever date. Here was an opportunity for the approximately 5,000 workers to embark on a mission critical to the country and their own households.

It is a chicken and egg argument to suggest that we cannot meter until we have an assured supply. The only way for our country to develop is for us to delink the politics from our development.  Here was an opportunity to change our mindset by changing the structures and systems around accessing water.

I am a firm believer that people will not change their behaviour unless they understand the pain or pleasure their actions will bring.

When Le Hunte joined the Cabinet, there was disquiet due to the apparent lack of knowledge about his Ghanian citizenship; but that quickly faded as he demonstrated comfort with his office. He even won over some citizens when he communicated a data-driven approach to reducing leaks in WASA’s pipeline infrastructure and demonstrated a willingness for respectful engagement via media appearances.

Fare thee well, former minister. Our politicians are just not ready to take the painful actions which will brighten our future!

Meanwhile I recall the words of both Dr Mighty Sparrow, renowned calypsonian, and Dr Terrence Farrell, former chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB): “We like it so!