AS Trinidad and Tobago celebrates its 62nd anniversary of Independence today, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has called on the country to marshal together as it navigates challenges and to have “boundless faith in our destiny”.
The Prime Minister, in his Independence message released yesterday, rallied for national spirit.
“As we mark this occasion, it may be an ideal opportunity for us to first scan the wider world, a brief, random look into major events and the geo-political state of a few countries, then place our country on the scale of human development, gauge our progress, and the quality of life we enjoy here today in Trinidad and Tobago.”
He said, “Maybe here, in this comparison, notwithstanding the many difficulties that we have to confront daily, we may better appreciate our overall achievements, our resilience as a people, our natural and cultural wonders, and the beauty and richness of this land, called Trinidad and Tobago.”
Rowley noted that “gang culture” was among issues challenging T&T, but also outlined a “transcendent” Trinbagonian spirit that was defined by respect for the Almighty and compassion.
“Today as we celebrate our Independence 62, I ask that all citizens join me in committing to this optimistic spirit.
“Let us continue to see ourselves as resilient people, who are developing a country, marshalling together, navigating its challenges and difficulties ‘with boundless faith in our destiny’,” Rowley said.
He added, “I assure you that your Government is fully engaged as we address all the major issues while pointing to the real prospects for a brighter future. Today, our country continues to stand strong as we continue to believe in our future.”
Stresses and strains
The Prime Minister encouraged people to look deeper and to aspire to be better on a daily basis.
He noted, “We know that our home is not without its stresses and strains, pockets of underlying hostilities, increasing levels of violent crime, family disputes, meaningless altercations spawned and spread by the gang culture among much of our youth.”
Yet, Rowley said, “Looking deeper, we can identify and praise what we call ‘The Trinbagonian’—our collective spirit in which we hold a transcendent respect for The Almighty, alongside an eager willingness to display kindness, selfless care, compassion, respect, love, sharing with family, friends, and extending trust to strangers, as fellow humans all wrapped in a daily ambition to be better.”
Rowley said, “As Prime Minister, when I look across our land, I see creativity, optimism, discipline and pride in all the best that Trinidad and Tobago has produced over the last 62 years.”
The Prime Minister maintained that T&T was a “land of opportunities and possibilities”.
“I see us all as lively, sentient beings, who always seem to be on the move to something greater,” Rowley said.
“Whatever our race or status, our unique, collective ‘Trinbagonian Spirit’ stands out, wherever, because we always expect to be enjoying and enhancing our daily lives, protecting our freedom, celebrating our music, our dance, our food, our fashion and, of course, our pan.”
HSF ‘carefully used’
The Prime Minister said work was being done to ensure economic stability, noting that Government had drawn from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) during unplanned difficulties.
“Our economic buffers remain strong, with both our Heritage and Stabilisation Fund and External Reserves approaching US$6 billion, giving us an eight-month import cover,” Rowley said.
“This is even after we have carefully used some of the interest from the earnings of the Fund to bail us out during the recent series of unplanned difficulties in the pandemic and post-pandemic era.”
The PM said the unemployment rate in 2023 stood at 4.1% and further progress is expected this year.
In addition, he said that “inflation, at great risk a few years ago, has subsided to below 1%; our economic growth continues apace, with strong signs of growth in the non-oil sector”.
The Prime Minister called for a view of this perspective as it challenged all “to nurture and strengthen ourselves as we face the many challenges of a demanding 21st century”.
He cited as “examples of this new optimistic spirit” the Government’s “emphasis on vocational and skills training, open to all youths, through the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service”.
“The agriculture projects are exciting initiatives which have already produced their first graduates and first harvests,” he said.
“In this simple but important activity, a total of 1,500 youths are expected to graduate over the next year, giving our young people an alternative gateway to success.”
“Robust” social services continue to ensure that no one is left behind, he said.
“Thousands of our most vulnerable citizens continue to benefit from social grants, social services, free healthcare and medicine, in addition to Government subsidies for water, electricity, transportation, and education grants,” Rowley said.
He added: “The past decade is punctuated with global shocks and crises in the world economy, which heightened risks for this country.
“Covid-19 also added to those risks, with headwinds and tumultuous waters.”
However, he said “we saw this as an opportunity to build our resilience and develop unique solutions”.
The Prime Minister cited as an example Government’s restructuring of the former Petrotrin refinery into “a holding company with a highly profitable tax-paying subsidiary called Heritage Petroleum”.
He said, “Most significantly, the country has been able to confirm landmark and unprecedented arrangements with our closest neighbour Venezuela, to develop gas fields that straddle our border and in that country’s waters.”
According to the Prime Minister, exploration in the Loran-Manatee, Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina fields “hold tremendous economic opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago, from the near term and into the coming decades”.
“These projects will boost this country’s declining gas production, will sustain the plants on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and are the basis for the Government’s optimism, and hope for our secure future,” Rowley said.