This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
Congratulations on your 33rd month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
My letters in April and May asked for an update on the establishment of the National Statistical Institute of T&T (NSITT) which I have not yet received. The National Draft Development Strategy 2016/2020 refers to the Reform of the National Statistical System and promised:
“The national statistical system will be reformed to provide timely, reliable and accurate data for improved decision-making and targeted policy formulation. To this end, the National Statistical Institute of Trinidad and Tobago will be established”.
Other information in the public domain suggests that the NSITT is on scheduled to be on stream in 2019 and I am asking for an update on the actual status. Where can a concerned citizen see the work plan and be assured that this matter is on stream? My interest in a well functioning data gathering institution is because I share the soundness of the following statement from your manifesto:
“Our approach to governance in our next term will be data based, scientific, holistic and evidence driven, paying due attention at all times to the need for compassion, sensitivity and the respect for the rights and freedoms of all citizens in all matters of state”.
I am once again requesting a response to my concerns.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
Congratulations on your 32nd month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
My April 7th letter reminded you of your campaign promise to make decisions on the basis of data and your commitment to improve/restructure/re-design the country’s Central Statistical Office. I note that in February 2016, your good friend Dr. John Prince was appointed Chairman of the Cabinet-appointed task force for the establishment of the National Statistical Institute of T&T (NSITT).
I am requesting an update on the work of that Task Force.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
Congratulations on your 31st month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
I refer to the following statement in the PNM’s 2015 manifesto:
“Our approach to governance in our next term will be data based, scientific, holistic and evidence driven, paying due attention at all times to the need for compassion, sensitivity and the respect for the rights and freedoms of all citizens in all matters of state.
I am writing to request an update on your plans for the re-structuring of the Central Statistical Office or the creation of a replacement entity.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
Congratulations on your 30th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
My sincere congratulations to you on facilitating the work of the Equality Opportunity Commission and the launch of the “Guidelines to Sexual Harassment in the WorkPlace”.
I take this opportunity to remind you that the next important milestones are the Legislation and the implementation of Sexual Harassment Policy at all State Enterprises and Ministries.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
Congratulations on your 26th month as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Recent activities have caused me to reflect deeply on the inappropriate use of the Priority Bus Route (PBR). (My running group has been training on the PBR.)
Here are 4 situations which need urgent attention:
Private citizens have encroached on the road reserve and built buildings, garages, walkways, businesses and in one case an attractive 5 ft hedge. It means that they are using the PBR to access their homes and businesses. This simply adds to the congestion problem along the east/west corridor.
There is very little policing on the PBR so drivers use it as their private race track. (I have witnessed this several times on either Saturday or Sunday mornings from 5:00 am.)
Maxi drivers routinely wait at traffic lights for passengers causing obstruction at intersections.
The arrival of a PTSC bus at any stop is like a suspense movie. An easy fix would be the development of an “Ap” or installation of signs at the bus stops advising commuters of the arrival of the next bus even if it is in an hour. This will be of tremendous value to our “over 60” citizens who choose public transportation.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Dr. Rowley
October 7th marked two celebrations: your 25th month in office and the seventh edition of TedxPortofSpain.
On our part TEDxPortofSpain has provided a non-partisan platform for ideas worth spreading and we can boast of having 60 talks on line by Trinidadians about Trinidad. We have had more than one million views to date. If we are unable to continue staging the annual conference, our legacy would be there in perpetuity.
On the other hand, your legacy after 25 months in office is illusive. I note that the report from the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) has been posted on the website of the Ministry of Planning and I know that Officers from the Ministry are on the media talking about vision 2030. Those are commendable efforts however they are no replacement for a clearly articulated vision by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. They lack the power of office which only you can add.
In the absence of a clearly articulated vision by you, the population will continue to be uncertain. I quote the biblical statement, 1st Corinthians, “If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?”
My best wishes for your 26th month in office and I do hope that the tide will turn in your favour and that soon you will provide us with a vision which we could all follow.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Prime Minister,
Congratulations on your 2nd Anniversary as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
May I commend your government on the aggressive role being played by the “Joint Select Committee” to investigate the details of the sea bridge fiasco and suggest that your office move as aggressively to demonstrate to citizens your courage to take appropriate action which will arise upon completion of this exercise.
I am but one citizen but data tells you that I am NOT one voice. The three things which citizens clamour are Accountability, Collaboration and Transparency.
Yours for our country! Dennise Demming (Mrs.) MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Comm Citizen
In light of your statement, I am asking our Government to urgently develop a policy to provide free feminine hygiene products for low income women and girls.
The City of Aberdeen in Scotland recently made these items free for low income women and girls, with very positive results. You can ask your wife and daughters about the cost of feminine products in our supermarkets and pharmacies .. they are not only expensive, but prohibitively so for many women and girls. Many of our girls miss days of school each month, as they cannot afford these essential products.
Please live your words, and do something positive for the women and girls of our nation.
Thank you
Yours for our country!
Dennise Demming (Mrs.) MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Comm Citizen
The statement that Trinidadians are undisciplined has never sat comfortably with me.
The statement insinuates that we are unable to carefully control the way we work, live, or behave, especially to achieve our goals. My intuition is that, as a people, we do what the system allows and whatever we can get away with.
Photo: Massy Trinidad All Stars at the 2017 Panorama competition.
Think of our panyards; they are clear examples of communities being goal-oriented, observing strict division of labour, following the instructions of the leader and accepting the consequences. Bands are unlikely to succeed if they break these rules.
Think of Mas Bands and the traditional Carnival Mas Camps. They know the goal, organise to deliver the products and, in the majority of cases, hit the road on time and within budget.
Parallel these thoughts with our excellent handling of Covid-19 and what you see is that the goal was clear. It was to flatten the curve. The consequences were articulated by WHO and most international media houses.
You knew that you could become seriously ill, die or cause the death of your loved one. The context and remedy were communicated—close the borders and stay home.
It is the first time that I have seen our politicians take the advice of the scientists and follow it to the letter.
I hope this marks a new era in our development, an era in which our politicians and leaders will listen and take action based on science and data and not on their gut feelings.
Photo: Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh (left) and CMO Dr Roshan Parasram.
But it is not as simple as following advice; a clear goal must be articulated and this is where we have failed big time over the past 62 years as an independent nation. Vision 2020 was an excellent effort but it fell by the wayside and Vision 2030 is a ‘gambage’—flashy but short on substance.
The ‘blue economy’ as articulated by the former People’s Partnership coalition government, like many other plans which were driven from the top, never really resonated with the population.
For example, if proper information is publicly provided, any citizen should be able to articulate the long term plans for any government project: like ‘flatten the curve’. But at the moment, those plans are not evident and the political rhetoric continues to be vitriolic and accusatory.
We have very little data to drive decision-making. And in this eleventh Parliament, no clear, strategic directions were articulated to ensure that the systems, structures and processes are put in place to strengthen our data-gathering capacity. We are not even sure which institution has the responsibility, and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) is lagging way behind.
Whoever forms the next government must focus on decision-making based on data. Otherwise our country will continue to lag behind on every indicator of development.
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago supporters pose for a photograph during a break in Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying action against Costa Rica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on 11 November 2016. (Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Worse than that, the already decades-long brain drain will continue, and those of us left to make sense of the continuing chaos will have an almost impossible task.
For us to change the backward direction of our country, citizens have a responsibility to demand that our systems, processes and structures are designed to work in the digital space of the 21st century.
This is one of the letters which I have written to Prime Minister Rowley over the past 5 years.
Dear Prime Minister
I began writing to you in July of 2016 from the perspective of a concerned citizen. So far I have made suggestions with regard to the following issues:
The absence of a 5-7 year Strategic Plan
The escalating crime situation
The absence of opportunities for recently graduated returning nationals
The Tourism Sector and our efforts at diversification
The need to provide a secondary school for the children of Carenage
The possibility of introducing a “Systems/Design Thinking” project in our schools
The idea of the walkable cities and the positive benefits to be derived
Road congestion
Communications
Making Chaguaramas into a “Bus only” zone
Transportation as a quality of life issue
May I suggest that in your capacity as Minister of Public Utilities with responsibility for T&TEC that you encourage the company to lead the charge of deriving cost savings from the reduced use of electricity by following these steps:
Do an audit of the cost of electricity utilized by various Ministries.
Invest in timing systems to take the lights off for identified periods especially during the night time.
Measure the cost over a period.
Boast about the cost savings and encourage consumers to do the same.
Implemented successfully you will look smart and connect with people on a real level.
Yours for our country!
Dennise Demming (Mrs.) MBA, BSc., Cert-Mass Comm Citizen
Dennise Demming 