Private or public sector, inefficiency and lack of productivity is rampant.  An ongoing experience with (Price Waterhouse Coopers) PwC since 2012 has left me challenging the statement that public servants are lazy.  I am beginning to conclude that the lack of productivity observed in the public service is equally rampant in the private sector. The simplest of transactions take an inordinately long time and quality customer service is the exception rather than the rule.  

My current angst is with the reputable firm PwC.  In 2012 they were invited to carry out the voluntary liquidation of the Caribbean Games Company (CG09).  Seven years later, there is one outstanding matter holding back the finalization of the Liquidation and PwC who is being paid monthly has attached no urgency to wrapping up the Games.  As a matter of fact, the liquidator is actively ignoring any approaches on this issue. Contrast this seven year timeline with the PwC British website which boasts that that complex liquidations take an average of 24 to 30 months.

The matter preventing the completion of this liquidation is whether or not the board members should be remunerated for their service.  It is a reasonable expectation that service on a Board would attract some form of remuneration unless explicitly stated to the contrary.  At the last meeting with the liquidator in May 2019, the following statement: “… a total payment of more than a million dollars to seven Directors for Games which never came off is unconscionable…” raised the ire of the following members: Mrs. Dennise Demming, Dr. Iva Gloudon, Dr. Arthur Potts, Mr. David O Brien, Mr. Douglas Camacho and Mr. Mushtaque Mohammed.

For the record, under the leadership of former Minister of Health, Mr. Jerry Narace, Trinidad & Tobago created history by being the only country to cancel any activity because of the H1N1 scare and this cancellation occurred 6 weeks prior to the staging of the Games.  The board had been working diligently for the 30 months between their appointment and this cancellation.

The liquidator has the power to make a final determination but to take seven years to make that decision is unconscionable and unproductive.  Further, who is responsible at PwC to question why a simple voluntary liquidation should take almost seven years and counting.  If a reputable organization like PwC can’t get a simple voluntary liquidation completed in a reasonable time, then Trinidad & Tobago is doomed!

A feeling of fear covered me as I read a recent report of a recording of a private conversation allegedly between Justice Gillian Lucky and another person. I was further panicked because the Trinidad Expressnewspaper got hold of the tape, transcribed it and used it as a news story.

Where was the moment of pause to ask the question: is this the right thing to do? Is this the only way this story could be covered? Is it news at any cost? I know the answer will be that it was already out on social media, but does that make it right?

Shouldn’t there be some institution monitoring such releases or are we now in a free-for-all in which your conversations can be recorded without your knowledge or consent and used as someone else deems necessary? If you can tape the conversation of the judge and use it in this way, what will you do to an ordinary citizen?

Something is wrong with this scenario and it makes me feel that yet another of my freedoms is being violated. What will be next?

Facebook and other social media can operate according to the law of the jungle, but the state needs to play a role in protecting the rights of citizens. A huge deterrent to deviant behaviour is swift punishment. The source of the release of this recording should be swiftly tracked down and punished, if only for it to act as a deterrent to others who may feel it fair game to tape another’s conversation without their knowledge and use it without appropriate authority.

Every citizen should be afraid; not because big brother is listening, but because the systems which should be protecting our privacy do not exist or are being ignored. How is it that a private citizen’s phone call can be recorded, but we still have the police saying the hit was ordered from inside the prisons and they do not have the voice recording to be able to punish the perpetrator?

Is it that we are selectively targeting citizens? And if we are, should there be some publicised criteria so that citizens are aware of what will be flagged for recording by the state? How is it that someone who has the capacity to monitor and record the conversation of the judge can distribute the information with no penalty?

The steps are small from state surveillance, to censorship, to harassment and indefinite detention (Bail Bill). The steps from citizen surveillance to blackmail are even smaller.

I am all in favour of using the best technology for our common good, but there has to be known guidelines and citizens must be aware of the boundaries. There must be standards and practices which are adhered to and punishments dispensed for breeches.

We need systems and processes to protect our privacy and a clear understanding of how to access these systems and processes.

The societal breakdown around us is palpable.

Everywhere you turn there is chaos, indiscipline and manifestations of a society about to implode. Once you leave your home, your senses are assaulted by aggressive driving, loud music, lack of courtesy and piles of garbage. These assaults are carried out by people who are confident that there are no consequences for their actions so they continue to push the envelope.

They have received the memo that if you kill your neighbour it will take 15 years for the matter to be called in the courts; that like Ish, Steve and Jack, if the courts have pronounced against you in a matter, you can use the bureaucracy to avoid any consequences; that if you commit a home invasion, by the time the police arrive you would have moved on to your next heist; that you can commit traffic violations like driving in reverse for more than 3 kilometres and despite the evidence being on camera, you will not be prosecuted; that as a doctor, you can carry out surgery on a person to remove cocaine from his stomach, not report it, and if you’re found out, and no one will hold you accountable.

This is not a list of hypothetical scenarios but rather realities which empower wrongdoers to operate with impunity. We know that there is no silver bullet solution to the scourge of criminality which is stalking our land, and solutions are complex, but citizens want to feel confident that somewhere it is being addressed.

In the 2015 election battle, both political parties used ‘solving crime’ as a key pillar in their manifestos.  The People’s Partnership manifesto made 59 references to crime and committed to preserving law and order.  The PNM talked about a new approach which would modernise and transform the Police Service and ultimately operationalise the Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs).

Since both parties had solutions in 2015, isn’t it logical for the Government and the Opposition to collaborate now to tackle our most intractable problem?

As the saying goes, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

If I were the Leader of the Opposition I would write to the Prime Minister offering to work with him on a crime plan. I would also provide a list of 7 subject matter experts who could operate on a bi-partisan basis to provide solutions. Then I would make this all public to be transparent and demonstrate that leaders can collaborate on critical issues.

Such an offer would be extremely difficult for the Prime Minister to reject and it will signal to the wider community that the Opposition is responsible and willing to act in the national interest.

In the absence of collaboration to solve crime, citizens will continue to operate in chaos and be happy that we survived another moment without being a victim. Living in fear and praying that you will not be the next victim is unacceptable and inhumane.

We deserve better than this.

The recent termination of the CEO of Tourism Trinidad Limited is indicative of a wider systemic failure being experienced in every institution in the country.  It brings into focus the unreadiness of this current administration to do the job for which they applied. Under the stewardship of Dr. Rowley, we have burned down former TDC, created 2 new companies and the tourist arrivals continue on a downward spiral.  After 45 months, the decline in arrivals has not even levelled off while arrivals in the region move in the opposite direction.

Who will have the confidence to take on the responsibility of leading a company in which the Chairman fired her selection for CEO after 6 months; the Minister is “awaiting information” and leaked Board papers suggest that the CEO acted on her own volition and there is infighting amongst board members?

Clear, strong strategic direction must be taken immediately to begin the process of stabilizing the Tourism sector.  There are no quick fixes for the systemic failure of tourism in Trinidad and Tobago and whatever is done now needs a 6 – 9 month period before any results are seen.  In the short term whomever is left on the Board should urgently recommend the implementation of the Trinidad Tourism Sector Development Tourism Road Map 2016-2020 – Policy Proposal.  This will be a short-term measure while the Tourism Master Plan of 1995 is upgraded and modernized in keeping with current day trends.

A second action which can be taken is to appoint an interim action team comprising representatives from the tourism stakeholders to implement the top 5 priority actions which might stabilize the Sector.  These persons should be on short term contract and be given KPIs and deliverables tied to their remuneration.

Simultaneously, it is necessary to continue to build the new TTL according to its mandate and byelaws.  I disagreed with the closure of former TDC because the closure strategy has failed time and again in Trinidad and Tobago.  What is needed is transformative change to fix our institutions and for the Politicians to STOP trying to use State Enterprises and other Institutions to advance their myopic political agenda.

The Tourism Sector will not thrive under a heavy-handed government either PNM or UNC.   As visitors move along the tourism value chain, they interact with almost all sectors of the society and their experience is directly impacted by all sectors. For Tourism to work there must be complete collaboration –   from entry systems at the ports of entry to every other point of hand-off until the visitor leaves the country or moves on to the next destination. If people understood the direct relationship between their income and the product or service they offer, they would be energized to give of their best but nobody is explaining that to the Immigration Officer, the Taxi Driver, the Tour Guide etc. 

The current situation is that the Sector is in shambles and there are small and medium sized businesses which continue to suffer daily.  They are the ones who must demand clear, decisive actions because they stand to lose the most. Like many other things in this country, the sector is “fixable” but it requires leadership which is even-handed and focussed on a long term result.  We cannot continue to look at the election cycle because that is what has caused the perpetual mis-management, waste and corruption. For our nation to thrive we must be looking at a 50-to-100 year strategy which will build institutions which are robust and able to withstand the vagaries of modern day living.

The World Tourism Organisation projects international tourist arrivals to the Caribbean to increase by 2.2% a year to 25 million in 2020.  Trinidad and Tobago must carve out the section of that growth we are going after and place a laser like focus on how we are going to get the market share.  Without a clearly articulated vision, we are guaranteed to get to continue along this current path to underdevelopment.

The allocation of foreign exchange to Jane and Beharry Public continues to be inequitable and discriminatory. The ordinary citizen cannot get foreign exchange but franchises keep popping up all over the place. Clearly if you operate in the right circles you can get foreign exchange at will.

Who needs another Starbucks, Chucky Cheese, Wendy’s, Porche dealership etc? Why are we importing dried mangoes from Thailand instead of encouraging local entrepreneurship?

I recall that the Couva Children’s Hospital was supposed to bring in foreign currency by attending to patients from other countries but it remains closed. These are just mundane, everyday examples of how our foreign exchange is being mis-allocated.

I came across three cases of citizens who are angry because they cannot get foreign exchange to carry on with their lives.

Case One is of a returning resident who sold his property in England, brought the funds to Trinidad and built a home with the intention of retiring.  After 10 years he is so disenchanted that he wants to move on, but cannot get access to the money after selling his newly built house. He is now stuck in a place with money which he can only spend locally.

Case Two is a woman who has been living abroad for 15 years and has been investing in financial instruments which have matured; and she cannot get the funds out of the country now to continue her life abroad.

Case Three is of another woman who emigrated 20 years ago and cannot get access to her retirement lump-sum or monthly pension.

I have had the humiliating experience of having to line up daily to get US$100 in order to carry out some random transactions. Something is terribly wrong with the system. It appears to favour those with contact and access.

Is the reason that the ordinary citizen is experiencing these problems rooted in our corrupt systems, which are based on who you know and not what is the right thing to do?

The population understands that the energy sector has contracted resulting in a reduction in foreign exchange inflows. We also understand that very little has been done to diversify the economy to make up the shortfall, despite decades of experts telling us that we need to diversify the economy. What is clear is that citizens without contact or friends in the right places will continue to feel the pinch.

So if your son, daughter, tanty, etc, ‘in foreign’ need some help, you can’t offer it because you can’t get the foreign exchange to send. For the hundreds of thousands of Trinidadians who have migrated but have funds in Trinidad from pension plans or other instruments, that money remains unavailable, locked away from their access.

This is simply inequitable, unjust and unfair. Additionally, it does not inspire confidence that the system will work in your favour at all times.

Governments must inspire confidence in people by operating even-handedly and transparently so please let us know who are the users and recipients of this scarce resource.

The Jawala Rambarran / Colm Imbert debacle is not new.  It is alleged that the goodly Minister prevented the employment of former Central Bank Governor at the G-24 Secretariat.  I am aware of several careers which have been halted by the political attitude that if you dare object to what I am doing or support the opposition you will “eat grass”.  Both the PNM and UNC (and/or its derivatives) are guilty of destroying careers and lives simply because they perceived that their opponents held a different view or objected to action.  Our society will not progress under the leadership of persons who are so vindictive and short-sighted. It is beyond my comprehension that a Minister can allocate some of his time to preventing a person from being employed or being awarded a contract.  

In this winner-take-all political system, people are justifiably afraid of being victimized.  I have seen how the winner-take-all political system extends way beyond the seats in Parliament.  Indeed it impacts the day to day running of the country. It translates into policy decisions about where a highway or houses should be built or if a project should be halted or if approval should be granted for a development being sponsored by a political financier.  Unfortunately we have bastardized our political system to the extent that this winner-take-all attitude is setting us up for conflict.

In an ideal world, it should not matter who is in control, all action should be in the best interest of the citizenry and there should be such a planned approach to development that “John Beharry Public” is the winner.  The ideal world should prescribe that the state boards be appointed on the basis of competence and therefore are not affected by a change of political parties. In the ideal world, politics will be de-linked from infrastructural development and plans would not be derailed simply because the new Minister does not agree, or that he does not like the incumbent, or has a friend who is expected to be the beneficiary of a particular contract.  The development of the country should be a planned, sustained effort aimed at providing the best quality both in terms of outcomes and procedures.

Both political parties mouth some version of having a meritocracy and focussing on the citizens but their talk is not substantiated by their actions.  We continue to hear wild promises but see focussed action directed towards benefitting their inner circle of friends and financiers. They do not even have the courage to call out wrong doings.

Our country is at a significant crossroad where we need a breath of fresh air and a new kind of change.  What is needed is a cadre leaders who are mature and have the tenacity to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. The challenge we face is that we know that the political system is broken and the leadership of both parties is without vision or empathy so we are back to “who we go put”.  

This is a time for patriots to stand up to tyranny and wrongdoing.  We cannot continue to pay lip service to the phrases about taking back our country.  We have to stand up to every wrong that is presented.