strong leadership for a strong t&t the united …pension payments from 60 years the unc doubled...

The PNM’s unrelenting seven-yearcampaign and its savagely partisanuse of the apparatus of the State to

humiliate and criminalise the leadershipand prominent supporters of the UNChave failed to produce a single convic-tion on any charge of misconduct inpublic office.

The UNC nonetheless recognises thecompelling obligation to move immedi-ately with speed and purpose to do allthat is possible to restore the public trust.

We will therefore lose no time and spareno effort in initiating the most stringentmeasures that will enforce on all personsholding positions of public trust, scrupu-lous compliance with the comprehensivelegislative and legal sanctions that theUNC has already introduced, and will yetformulate, to ensure unwavering adher-ence to the highest ethical standards andthe most exacting demands of probity inall matters of Governance.

To these ends, we will appoint as Ministerof Public Administration and Compliance,

an individual of manifestly impeccablereputation and sterling character, chargedwith the responsibility of igniting in gov-ernment and in the wider national com-munity of the Republic of Trinidad andTobago, a culture of transparency,accountability, decency, honesty, andprobity, that will permit no compromise,will protect no interest save the publicgood, and will define the politics of thisnation into perpetuity.

R e s t o r i n gTr u s t

THE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESSSTRONG LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONG T&T

1

Basdeo PandayLeader of the United National Congress

THE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESS

$5,000 HOME-AID for House RepairsA first time ever, Home-Aid assistanceplan for house repairs for low-incomesenior citizens and other homeown-ers of modest means.

CEMCOTT –New Perspectives for CaroniThe Central Maintenance Centre ofTrinidad and Tobago takes theVMCOTT concept to new dimensionsin this new business unit for CaroniLimited, providing multi-skills train-ing, generating hundreds of newjobs, and establishing a regional autocentre.

Cheaper Car PartsAfter opening car ownership totens of thousands more citizenswith the importation of foreignused vehicles, the UNC willreduce the duty on all car parts.

Tax Free for TaxisAfter abolishing annual MotorVehicle Licence Fees and allowingthe importation of foreign used vehi-cles, the UNC will authorise Tax FreeTyres and Batteries for Taxi Operators.

Nationwide Highway PatrolTo arrest the lawlessness, the frequency of incidents and accidents,and the carnage on our roads, theUNC will establish a new protectiveunit, the National Highway Patrol,with 250 motor cycle and mobileHighway Patrol Officers in the initialphase. Closed Circuit TelevisionSystems will be an integralcomponent of the NationwideHighway Patrol System

House and Land, the UNC PlanThe UNC will establish new residen-tial settlements in which families willbe offered affordable subsidized landand homes.

STRONG LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONG T&T

3

tothePeopleTHE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESS

A Safe T&T– Our Top PriorityThe UNC will follow up its acclaimedwar against narco-trafficking andother classes of crime with a comprehensive programme toreposition the Police service, tacklecrime at the roots, to root out andput away the criminals, and to makeour population feel safe again.

130,000 New Jobs – Yes We CanIn our first term, UNC policies led tomore than 80,000 new jobs, our goalis full employment within thisdecade. We did it before. We’ll do itagain.

Land Reform - Land for the LandlessThe UNC will provide developed landwith all utilities to the landless at$25,000 per lot on low interest 30year mortgages.

More Tax Cuts for Individuals and CompaniesAfter no new taxes in our first six years, we will cutback Personal Income Tax and Corporation Tax by5% initially, with a subsequent 5%

Targeted Cutback in VAT by 5%By lowering the tax rate, increasingnon-taxable allowances and remov-ing VAT from a range of consumeritems, including computers and computer supplies, the UNC enabledtaxpayers to keep more of the moneythey earned, over six consecutiveyears. We propose to swiftly assessthe feasibility of our earlier commit-ment to consider a substantial cutting back of VAT.

$1500 “Nest Egg” for New Born BabiesA kick-start for every newborn baby:$1500 in Units in the Unit Trust,encouraging savings and thrift, andguaranteed by the state.

Pension Payments from 60 yearsThe UNC doubled Old Age Pensionsand is responsible for the present$1,000 pension. Under a UNC gov-ernment, this benefit will begin 5years earlier, at age 60.


2

OurPledgesThese measures will be initiated in the first 90 days of the new UNC term

provide free drugs forthe treatment of allHIV/AIDS patients.

UWI-Student-Housing Committed to doingeverything possible topropel the Revolution ineducation which theUNC ignited in the firstterm, we will provide

incentives for privatesector development ofaffordable studentresidential units in theenvirons of the UWISt. Augustine campus.

Lower TelephoneChargesIn order to expand therange of Telecomoptions for consumers,and to bring rates down,the UNC will liberalisethe telecom sector.

$35M for Naparima BowlTrinidad and To b a g o,a sthe cre at i ve source / ca p-ital of the Ca ri b be a n ,should long ago havehad a state of the artm u l t i - p u rpose inte rn a-

t i o n a lce nt refor thepe r-fo rm-i n ga rt s,

the UNC will makeNa p a rima Bowl such af a c i l i ty at an estimate dcost of 35 million dollars.

THE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESSSTRONG LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONG T&T

5

tothePeople

With monumentally backwa rd thinki n g,the PNM is widening the approaches to then at i o n’s biggest traffic bo t t l e n e c k , ca n ce l i n gthe UNC planned inte rchange for the state dreason that the stru ct u ral arch loo ked like theRising Su n ; to bring relief to the hundreds ofthousands of persons using the Uriah Butler–Ch u rc h i l l / R oo s evelt inte r s e ct i o n , we will givethe people of Trinidad and Tobago their longove rdue Ea s t – We s t - No rt h - South Tra f f i cI nte rc h a n g e.

North-South Traffic InterchangeFamilies First CentresTo ease the pressure onworking parents, we willestablish new Day CareCentres, manned bysenior citizens and ado-lescents in all Ministriesand in all communities.

National Youth GuardTo strengthen their char-acter and instill disci-pline in our youth, andto strengthen the fabricof the nation, we will

establish a VolunteerNational Youth Guard,which will provide crisismanagement and spe-cial events skills training,sports and musicaldevelopment, and whichwill promote musical tal-ent through participa-tion in Regional YouthBattalions, each operat-

ing a Marching Band,combining a fusion ofIndo/Afro/Steelbandinstruments and dance.

Dollar for Dollar forEvery StudentThe PNM sabotaged theDollar for Dollar Plan,which so dramaticallydemocratised tertiaryeducation in Trinidadand Tobago. The UNCwill not only restore this

benefit, we will extend itto the entire indigenousstudent body atapproved tertiaryinstitutions.

All Schools OnlineThe UNC is to be credit-ed with propellingTrinidad & Tobago tocomputer literacy with

the World’s first everMinistry of DistanceLearning and tax-freepurchases of computersand supplies.

Community Internet CafesTo nurture the innatetalent of our youngpeople and in order toencourage amity,camaraderie and selfdevelopment among

them, the UNC willestablish Internet Cafesin all communities.

Free Drugs for Aids TreatmentHaving substantiallyreduced the price ofmedication for hyper-tension, diabetes andHIV/AIDS, the UNC will

THE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESS STRONG LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONG T&T

4

OurPledgesThese measures will be initiated in the first 90 days of the new UNC term


•Get tough on persons disturbing the public pe a ce.

•St ri ctly enfo rce all laws re l ating to the sale to and consumption of alcohol by m i n o r s.

•Amend the law to enable the ca n ce l l ation of trading l i censes of any ope ration selling liquor to minors.

•Amend the laws to make it an offe n ce to drink alcohol on a public ro a dway.

•Amend the laws to provide for pe rm a n e nt ca n ce l l ation and pre-emption of dri vers pe rmits of persons co nv i cted of we a pons or drug charg e s.

•E n fo rce the ant i - l i t ter laws.

• I nt rod u ce bre at h a l y zer te s t i n g.

•Disqualify moto rists driving under the influence of a l co h o l .

•Train all Po l i ce Of f i cers in co m m u n i cations and i nte rpersonal re l at i o n s.

•Gi ve the Commissioner of Po l i ce the genuine a u t h o ri ty to manage the fo rce that he leads.

• I n i t i ate Implement ation of the Sir Ellis Cl a rke Re po rt .

• Set up a Crime Reduction Task Fo rce d rawn from the widest co m m u n i ty of ex pe rt s, including strategic p a rtners from ove r s e a s ;with re s po n s i b i l i ty for fo rm u l ating a co m p re h e n s i ve Crime Re d u ction prog ramme by De ce m ber 31.

• I n c rease the strength of the Po l i ce Se rv i ce to optimum l eve l s.

•De d i cate a Highway Pat rol Unit with an initial strength of 250 motor cycle and other mobile office r s.

• I n c rease the pe n a l ty for

ra pe, kidnapping and a rmed ro b be ry to possible l i fe impri s o n m e nt.

•De ny bail to re pe at o f fe n d e r s.

•Fo s ter strong partnerships be tween the po l i ce and the co m m u n i t i e s.

•Equip the Po l i ce Se rv i ce with state of the art te c h n o l ogy, including closed circuit te l evision s ys tems at peak traffic po i nts and in co m m e rcial a re a s.

•Provide ongoing s pecialised training to all Po l i ce Of f i ce r s.

•Establish Po l i ce / Ci t i zens p a rtnerships in co m m u n i ty a l l i a n ces to re d u ce cri m e.

•Develop prog rammes to engage young people in po s i t i ve act i v i t i e s.

•Toughen gun laws.


7

Appoint as Minister of National Security, a proven leader of acknowledged stature, who will command the respect of the protective services and that of the national community.


2002 will go down in histo ryas the nine-months blundernamed Howa rd Chin Le e,Pat rick Ma n n i n g’s yuppie fe te -p romoting pro t é g é , in whosei n ex pe ri e n ced and unte s te dhands the nat i o n’s securi ty,the po p u l at i o n’s safe ty andthe public pe a ce we re d i s a s t rously place d.

Th at decision has come to beseen as a virtual act of h o s t i l i ty against the people ofTrinidad and Tobago defyingl og i c, and for that mat te r,common sense and level h e a d e d n e s s.

The insecuri ty that grips then ation now is without para l l e l ,and without pre ce d e nt .

Re ce nt studies reveal that twoout of eve ry three persons inthis co u nt ry live in fear ofbe coming victims of cri m e.

Had the Manning administra-tion focused the apparatus ofthe state on the preve nt i o nand inve s t i g ation of thec rimes of violence that have

t ra u m at i zed the soc i e ty thisye a r, the po p u l ation mighth ave felt be t ter pro te cte d.

Th at aspe ct of law enfo rce-m e nt has not,h oweve r, be e na pressing co n ce rn of the p re s e nt gove rn m e nt .

The gove rn m e nt’s pri n c i p a lp re oc c u p at i o n , to all appe a r-a n ce s, has been the cri m i n a l-i z ation of po l i t i cal oppo n e nt s.

Thus pre - oc c u p i e d, the safe tyand securi ty of the people ofTrinidad and Tobago havebeen of far lesser co n s e-q u e n ce to the gove rn m e nt .

So strong has been the Pri m eMi n i s te r’s obsession with thea n n i h i l ation of po l i t i cal tar-g e t s, he could not even findtime for sympat hy for the re l at i ves of victims of thewave of kidnappings andother serious crimes that hasso tra u m at i zed the po p u l a-t i o n .With all of this, t h e re isthe emerg e n ce of the AlQaeda linked Yasin Abu Ba kras an adviser who appears to

possess the knack of maki n go f fers to the Prime Mi n i s te rt h at he dares not re f u s e.

Gi ven how far out of hand thep roblem of crime has gotte nover the last eight mont h s,the UNC will swiftly take an u m ber of immediate mea-s u res to arrest the ongoings u rge of cri m e.

In the first 45 days,we will begin i m p l e m e nt ation ofa crime re d u ct i o nplan that includesthese measure s :

•Ap po i nt as Mi n i s ter of National Se c u ri ty a proven leader of ackn owledged s t at u re, who will command the re s pe ct of the pro te ct i ve s e rv i ces and the national co m m u n i ty.

•Enlist the media as allies in the fight against cri m e.

•Get tough on traffic v i o l ato r s.


6

C R I M E


9

Gerald Ye t m i n gb a n k e r

St. Joseph“Under the UNC the economy expanded by an av e r age of 5.2 percent per annum. T h e

number of people living below the poverty line was cut in half. I n f l ation was brought

d own to its lowest point in decades, av e r aging 4% for the period 1996-2000. Foreign

exchange reserves have grown from a mere US$652 million in 1995 to US$2.4 billion

as of August 2001.”


called “Trinidad and To b a g o’s Ca rn i va lm e nt a l i ty”, and also pro m p ted thenPrime Mi n i s ter Ma n l ey of Jamaica tore m a rk that “Oil money was flow i n gt h rough ‘Tri n i d a d’ l i ke a Dose of Sa l t s”.

Now the PNM is dispensing a similardose of salts and the same ment a l i ty isev i d e nt, oblivious to the Eu ro pe a nCe nt re for Social Po l i cy’s fo re cast ofthe possible collapse of the we l f a res ys te m , even in deve l o ped state s,within 10 to 13 ye a r s.

The PNM’s brutal vict i m i z ation ofpo l i t i cal oppo n e nt s, this ye a r, h a scaused unpre ce d e nted po l a ri s at i o nbe tween the co u nt ry’s two major eth-nic gro u p s.

On Se p te m ber 25,the nation watc h e dthe TV6 nightly news re po rt in horro ras the outgoing Prime Mi n i s ter ofTrinidad and Tobago stood by be n i g n-l y, seemingly sat i s f i e d, and withoutre p rimand or re b u ke, as a man ofAf ri can desce nt whose suppo rt hewas soliciting, t h re atened wa rbe tween “ Black people and Indians”i fthe PNM we re to lose the Ge n e ra lEl e ct i o n s.

Against this backdro p, our co u nt ry isn ow gri p ped by the pe rva s i ve fe a rt h at over the last nine mont h s, t h ePNM in its lust to cling to powe r, h a sp ro pelled Trinidad and Tobago to theb rink of economic “ H a i t i a n i s at i o n”a n dethnic “Gu ya n i s at i o n”.

In an orgy of gove rn m e nt give awaysas bri bes for vo te r s, g ove rn m e nts pending has included massives p l u rging against ant i c i p ated energys e ctor reve n u e.

The Manning administration has setthe co u nt ry back by deca d e s, to theworst days of the ca l c u l a ted andcy n i cal PNM depe n d e n cy syndro m ewhich blighted so large a section ofthe po p u l at i o n , stultified self wo rt hand self deve l o p m e nt, and whichs p awned the culture of crime amongu n e m p l oyables that co ntinues toh a u nt the soc i e ty to this day.

In one of the most inte m pe ratemisdeeds of any head of gove rn m e ntin this co u nt ry and the re g i o n ,t h eonly person to have been appo i nte dPrime Mi n i s ter of this co u nt ry whileunable to demonstrate the suppo rt ofa majori ty of members of the House ofRe p re s e nt at i ve s, has set an elect i o n ,pe rilously close to the date on whichg ove rn m e nt and the co u nt ry co u l dshut down if the 2002/2003 Budget isnot in place.

This is a degree of po l i t i cal i rre s po n s i b i l i ty that is as re p rehensibly a be t rayal of the public trust as is theP N M’s unholy alliance with a te rro ri s tg roup that, for all pra ct i cal purpo s e s,m i g ht well be a cell of the Al QaedaAxis of Ev i l .

Now, m o re than eve r, t h e re is a cry i n g

need for the strong leadership of theco u rageous Un i ted National Co n g re s sMe m bers of Pa rl i a m e nt who succe s s-fully led the battle for the re s to rat i o nof Pa rl i a m e nt a ry Gove rn m e nt in thisco u nt ry, and a re t u rn to po l l s, a n dp rincipled pat riots like Wi n s to nDoo ke ra n ,Gove rnor of the Ce nt ra lBank up to a few months ago, a n dn ow a key member of the UNC’s te a me l e ction ca n d i d ate s.

Now, m o re than eve r,Trinidad andTobago needs the demonstrate dm a n a g e rial depth and eco n o m i ci n s i g ht that resides in the UNC, t h ec ri t i cal factor of this co u nt ry’se conomic upsurge be tween 1995and 2001.

Now, m o re than eve r,Trinidad andTobago needs leadership of theco u rage and chara cter to turn backAbu Ba kr and Al Qaeda.

As all rational citizens cry for ourbe l oved co u nt ry, n ow is the time fo rs t rong leadership for a strong T & T.Only the Un i ted National Co n g re s scan provide that ca l i b re of leadershipin these times of ever esca l ating cri s e s.

Your vo te for the UNC is the onlymeans by which you can ensuret h at at this time of gat h e ring cri s e s,the strongest leadership will be inthe position to pro te ct your inte r-ests and defend our be l ove dTrinidad and To b a g o.


8

Winston DookeranB A , M S c

St. Augustine“ Fo l l owing six years of astute economic management by the UNC, economic growth must be

s at i s f i e d . The UNC established a Revenue Stabilization Fund, which stood at over $1 billion.

This represented surplus gas and oil revenue above budgeted figures. It is now our turn once

again to creat e , sustain and manage a buoyant economy so that we can quicken the pace of

d e v e l o p m e n t ,g e n e r ate significant wealth for our populat i o n , improve the lives of all our

citizens and deal purposely with the issues of equity in our society. ”


T rinidad and Tobago now face sthe most dangerous crises inour co u nt ry’s kn own histo ry.

After ruling the co u nt ry for eightm o nths without a funct i o n i n gPa rl i a m e nt, a fter arbitra rily and unco n-stitutionally suspending loca lGove rn m e nt El e ct i o n s, and afte rsustained and unre l e nting vict i m i z a-tion of his po l i t i cal oppo n e nt s, t h eo u tgoing Prime Mi n i s ter and the PNMg ove rn m e nt have fo rmed an unholyand dangerous alliance with theJ a m a at Al Mu s l i m e e n , the te rro ri s to rg a n i s ation kn own to be guilty ofmass murd e r, and publicly linked tothe Axis of Evil of Al Qaeda.

A published US Co n g ressional Re po rthas revealed that the Jamaat AlMuslimeen had years ago establishedlinks with Al Qaeda and had pro po s e da plot to fly an ex p l o s i ve laden planeon a suicide bombing mission into theWo rld Trade Ce nt re ; in the way that aJ a m a at suicide bo m ber had used a ca rloaded with ex p l o s i ves to destroyPo l i ce He a d q u a rte r s, to initiate the Ju l y2 7 , 1990 coup at te m p t .

In the wa ke of the attack on Am e ri caon Se p te m ber 11, 2 0 0 1 , the USg ove rn m e nt has declared that any

co u nt ry harbo u ring te rro rists is ane n e my of Am e ri ca and will at t ra ctp re - e m p t i ve stri ke s, and hasd e m o n s t rated in Afghanistan whatcan happen to co u nt ries where gov-e rn m e nts have links with Al Qaeda.

Sa c rificing the inte rests of the nat i o nand the we l f a re of the po p u l ation inf u rt h e ra n ce of his personal po l i t i ca la g e n d a , the PNM Leader has asserte dto the media that even with theJ a m a at Al Mu s l i m e e n / Al Qaedaa l l i a n ce, he readily we l comes Ab uBa kr’s invo l ve m e nt in the PNMca m p a i g n . In the process the PNMleader has found himself on the tailof a raging tiger from which he dare snot let go.

Abu Ba kr’s deputy in the 1990 co u pat te m p t, Bilal Abd u l l a , the te rro ri s twho led the assault on the Red Ho u s e,and who held the then Prime Mi n i s te rhostage as he was shot, is a keyManning adv i s o r, top gun of the URP,and re l at i ve of a Mi n i s ter in theManning administrat i o n . Manning hass own the evil wind of Abu Ba kr and AlQ a e d a .Your families and their childre nwill be made to reap the whirl w i n d.

All of this places Trinidad and To b a g o,with an eco n o my which is larg e l y

d ri ven by fo reign inve s t m e nt, in seri-ous jeopardy.

All of this has been inflicted on apo p u l ation alre a dy tra u m atised by anu n p re ce d e nted and unparalled waveof ki d n a p p i n g s, and other horre n d o u sc rimes and gang wa rf a re,which Ab uBa kr purpo rts to mediate.

In addition, the PNM Leader has usedPre s i d e nt Ro b i n s o n’s Ch ristmas Eveg i ft of the gove rn m e nt as a blankcheque for unlimited use of publicfunds to bri be vo ters in the marg i n a lco n s t i t u e n c i e s.

No mat ter how much revenue co m e sin from new oil and gas re s o u rce s,Ma n n i n g’s unchecked abuse of thet re a s u ry, for “f re e n e s s”for po l i t i ca lp u rpo s e s, and his to rre nt of ext rava-g a nt election pro m i s e s, a re guara n-teed to wreck our eco n o my.

This co u nt ry will never fo rget thed eva l u ation of the TT Dollar and theh a rdship the people of Trinidad andTobago suffe red as a result of PNMm i s m a n a g e m e nt and wa s te of the oilwindfall generated by OPEC sanct i o n sin the mid seve nt i e s,a dire ctco n s e q u e n ce of which was thed eva l u ation of the TT Do l l a r.

The ext rava g a n ce and excesses of thePNM administration of the dayp ro m p ted Si n g a po re’s Prime Mi n i s te rLee Kwan Ye w,to condemn what he

THE CRISES WE FACE

Investment of Energy Sector Wealth to Create Fulland Rewarding Employment, Through Focus on

Strategic National “Businesses” Development


11

Sadiq Bakshb u s i n e s s m a n , c o m m u n i t y w o r k e r

San Fernando We s t“ We initiated the Project Home Ownership Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) programme to construct over

30,000 new homes. The UNC government built the modern interchange at Cross Crossing,

San Fernando that ended decades of congestion and frustrations to commuters; we built the

roundabout at St. A n n ’s . We built the state of the art millennium airport – which every

a d m i n i s t r ation was unable to do for four decades.”

Economic andBusiness StrategyWhat Differentiates the UNC fromall other Parties?

• We have a Vision and Plan forTransformation to a First WorldNation by 2010.

• We are focused on PovertyEradication and the Improvementto First World Status of the Qualityof Life for all our People.

• We know the “business” Focus fordevelopment and have a plan forthe productive use of our impend-ing Energy Wealth.• We have demonstrated inclusionand the management of diversityand are committed to continue todo so.

• We will institutionalize NationalStrategic Planning to sustain thetransformation process.

• We have demonstrated open andfair Governance and will continueto do so.

• We have a proven PerformanceTrack Record.

GOVERNANCE,ACCOUNTABILITY, PROBITY

Transparency and PoliticalReformCurbing corruption is not merelyabout ethics and morality, it isabout sound Governance and theeffective, efficient use of publicresources for the public good.

A clear commitment to a strongnational integrity system isabsolute.

The pillars of a national integrity system are:

• Political will• Administrative reforms• Watchdog agencies• Parliament• The Judiciary• Civil Society• The Media

The process of reform must be visi-bly ‘owned’ by and supported fromthe top. In the end, tackling cor-ruption is not just about tackling:itis about strengthening the public’sconfidence in,and loyalty to thestate and strengthening the state’sfinancial and policy abilities toserve citizens.

For any country embarking onreform, perhaps the most impor-tant challenge is to structure a pro-gram and action plan that has, atits core, the goal of changing per-ceptions and values among publicofficials and institutions in thecountry at all levels.


• RESTORING TRUST

• A SAFE T&T OUR TOP PRIORITY

• GOOD GOVERNANCE

• TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

• EQUALITY OF TREATMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS

• SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

• FULL EMPLOYMENT

• A HEALTHIER NATION

• A HIGHLY EDUCATED, INTELLIGENT,

TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN AND GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE PEOPLE

• CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Our National Objectives


10

Carlos Johnb u s i n e s s m a n , e n t r e p r e n e u r a n d p u b l i c s e r v a n t

Tu n a p u n a“ We paved over 3,000 KM of roads, built over 300 KM of new roads and 60 new bridges.

H aving provided $150 million for the construction of an Interchange at the Uriah Butler and

Churchill Roosevelt – the UNC WILL BUILD THE INTERCHANGE and relieve the hardships

faced by hundreds of thousands on a daily basis.”



13

Kamla Persad BissessarL L B , L E C , D i p ( E d . )

S i p a r i a“Our revolution in education saw the abolition of the dreaded common entrance examinat i o n

and the introduction of the Secondary Entrance Examination (SEA). The path breaking policy of

Universal Secondary Education accompanied this historic conversion. To facilitate Education for

A l l , the UNC built 29 new secondary schools. To further enhance the education of our people

we introduced the novel and attractive “Dollar for Dollar Programme” to raise tertiary

e d u c ation from 5% to 20% by 2007.”

and social development",of whichthe fight against corruption is animportant dimension.We believe that good governanceshould receive the same legal andpolitical status as the respect forhuman rights, democratic principlesand the rule of law.

We challenge the PNM to tell thepopulation what they did between1991-1995 to address issues of cor-ruption and the need for trans-parency and probity in publicaffairs.

The United National Congress hasdone more to prevent corruption ingovernment than any previousadministration.

The following reminders are timelybut not exhaustive.

UNC Measures to CombatCorruption in Public Office and toEmpower the Population

The Freedom of Information Act(No. 26 of 1999)

This Act gave the public unprece-dented access to government infor-mation and records. The provisionsof this Act give members of thepublic the statutory right to accessofficial documents from any publicauthority such as Ministries,Municipal Corporations and State

Enterprises.

This legislation not only made gov-ernment more accountable andtransparent but also provides apowerful weapon in combating cor-ruption and nepotism.

The Integrity in Public Life Act(No. 83 of 2000)

This Act considerably strengthensand empowers the IntegrityCommission to exercise greater con-trol and oversight over the financialand ethical conduct of all personsperforming governmental func-tions.

This legislation gave theCommission wide investigativepowers and puts in place a Code ofConduct, which governs all publicofficers. The Code covers such areasas the acceptance of gifts , influencepeddling and lobbying.

The Constitution (Amendment)(Parliamentary Committee) Act(No. 29 of 1999)

This Act empowers Parliament toappoint Joint-Select Committees toinquire into and report to bothHouses of Parliament on the admin-istration and manner of the exerciseof powers and methods of function-ing of, and the criteria adopted inthe exercise of such powers by

Government Ministries, MunicipalCorporations, Statutory Authorities.State owned or controlled enterpris-es and Service Commissions, exclud-ing the Judicial and Legal ServiceCommission.

The Judicial Review Act (No. 60 of2000)

This Act introduced the concept ofpublic interest litigation, which is aweapon to be used by the poor tofight injustice.

It allows individuals or groups tobring an action,which may be inthe public interest although theywere not directly affected by theparticular injustice.

The Equal Opportunity Act (No. 69of 2000)

This Act established for the firsttime in the history of Trinidad andTobago an Equal OpportunityCommission,which is an administra-tive and investigative body entrust-ed with the responsibility of wor k-ing towards the elimination of dis-crimination.

The legislation deals with discrimi-nation on the grounds of race, sex,religion,origin,marital status or dis-ability. It is intended to provide adirect avenue for redress and sopromote equality of opportunity in

STRONG LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONG T&TTHE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESS

ConstitutionalReformUNC’s Perspective

• Trinidad and Tobago must man-age its unique diversity in order toadvance its potential to createopportunities for advancement andemployment.

• The Country must develop anagenda to combat group domina-tion,hate and hate-related philoso-phies that have as their aim the divi-sion of the society along primordiallines with sub-divisions alongregional lines.

• The vision for Trinidad and Tobagoshould be one of inclusion for all,which implies equal opportunity aswell as equal access to opportuni-ties.

The UNC Recognises:

• The need for the provision of anadequate mechanism of consulta-tion with the wider population.

• This should, however, be linked toa public education exercise on con-stitutional issues.

On GovernanceWeak governance is increasinglyseen to be at the heart of the eco-nomic development challenge.

The critical challenge is to look atthe forces that shape publicsector performance and developstrategies that will support publicsector reform in the context of acomprehensive developmentframework.

This framework includes: -• A well functioning and

accountable core public sector• A well functioning legal system• Mechanisms that promote citizen

‘voice’ participation• Mechanisms that promote

competition;market competition among public agencies

• Decentralization so that local residents have a greater voice in decisions that affect their lives

• An integrated approach tohelping the country combatcorruption.

• Realizing the potential of e-governance

• Promoting partnerships through governance trust funds

• Better access to timely, affordable and just dispute resolution services

• Improve services delivery through

better health,education and infrastructure plans

• Building mechanisms for sharing and preserving knowledge.

Leadership is a critical componentof good public governance.Leadership is an important andcrucial variable that leads toenhanced management capacity, aswell as organizational performance.Development of public sector leadership for this country is anenormous challenge that faces the nation.

Political reform is required in ahost of areas including: -• Internal democratic processes • Balancing Executive and

Legislative prerogatives• The role of constitutional and

party based factors• The creation of accountability

institutions

Governance,Accountability,Probity andTransparency The UNC views good governance as“the transparent and accountablemanagement of all resources of acountry for its sustainable economic

12

Winston “Gypsy” Petersc a l y p s o n i a n , b u s i n e s s m a n

Ortoire/Mayaro “The UNC united T&T and provided a place for all. We launched the National Steel Orchestra

and the Gandhi Institute of Culture; we gave eight acres to Pan Tr i n b ago for the construction of

i t ’s headquarters. We granted the Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day and the Indian Arrival Day.

The UNC established the National Cultural Council, an umbrella body for all cultural

o r g a n i z at i o n s . ”



15

D r. Carson CharlesB S c , P h D

Diego Martin Central“The UNC believes in empowering citizens by ownership of assets and cap i t a l . The UNCintroduced The State Land (Regularsation of Tenure) Act 1998. This established an orderlythree-phase process for ownership of land by the landless. This involved the issuance ofC e r t i f i c ates of Comfort, f o l l owed by a thirty-year stat u t o ry lease, f o l l owing which a deed oflease is granted. We also introduced and expanded a range of subsidies targeted to low incomehouseholds relating to rents, m o r t g age interest rates and land and capital cost.”

deriving its membership from non-governmental organizations (NGOs)with direct concerns forTransparency, Accountability andProbity in Public Affairs.

Policy Statement(a) The United National Congresswill pursue a policy of constitutionalreform once returned to office.

(b) This will be driven bywidespread consultation with allmembers and society.

(c) The Policy of exclusion as practiced by the last governmentmust be countered by the shapingof a system of government in whichadequate mechanisms for participa-tion, power-sharing and equality ofopportunity will be key priorities.

Law, Order andthe Security of LifeCRIME The entire nation is grippedwith a level of fear, which isunprecedented in this country.Criminals have taken control of thecountry while the PNM governmentremains impotent.A UNC government will introduceand pursue the following: -Facilities and Training for the police

in the following areas: -

• Fingerprinting– Finger Printexperts to be exposed to moderntechniques and provided with stateof the art equipment.

• Scene of the crime– Officers-many more officers to be trained inprotecting the scenes of crimes andsupplied with state of the artEquipment

• Photography– Modern training tobe provided and state of the artequipment supplied

• Kidnapping officers to be trainedto properly investigate kidnapping,a category of crime, which now is ofthe greatest concern to all. Thenecessary surveillance equipmentwill be supplied.

• Computers: Computers to beinstalled in as many police stationsas possible and training pro-grammes appropriate for the policeto be designed and offered.

• Crowd Control: Extensive re-train-ing to be exercised for the relevantsectors of the service

• Building Resources: Bring thepolice service up to the requiredstrength.• Vehicles: Bring suitable vehicles,which will be adequate for effective

policing

• Police stations: A programme ofrebuilding and / or repairing asnecessary.

• Ellis Clarke Committee: The SirEllis Clarke Committee made certainrecommendations for the overallimprovement of the Police Servicesand every effort will be made toimplement that report, particularlyin respect of hiring, training,promotion,firing and discipline.

• Gathering of information /Intelligence: Adequate sums ofmoney to be provided for thegathering of information andtraining suitable personnel.

• Drug Control: The UNC will makeavailable to the police proper work-ing fleet of boats or other appropri-ate sea fleet to be used whenrequired for drug interdiction.

• Providing available equipment:For detecting drugs in motor vehi-cles and other containers.

• Community Policing: To be rein-troduced and properly controlled

• Introduce a NationalInformation Technology RoadSurveillance Security Network.• Money Laundering: Training tobe provided for the appropriate offi-


our plural society.

The UNC laid the Prevention ofCorruption Bill 2001 in Parliament.

This Bill sought to put in place moreeffective measures for dealing withcorruption, both in the public andprivate sphere. It establishes a per-manent Anti-CorruptionCommission with powers neverbefore given to any Commission ofEnquiry.

This Bill creates several new corrup-tion offences and introduces harshpenalties. The Act will carry penal-ties of fines of up to $1.5 million andtwenty years imprisonment.

The Anti-Corruption Commissionwould be equipped with the exper-tise required to monitor and investi-gate allegations of corruption andto initiate prosecutions in both thepublic and private sectors.

Upon resumption,the UNC govern-ment will make the Prevention ofCorruption Act a key priority andwill re-introduce it in the first threemonths of the first working sessionof the new Parliament.

The UNC government will put inplace rigorous mechanisms toensure fairness and transparency inall government procurement.All requests for proposals for the

supply of goods and services tothe government and to Statecontrolled organizations will bepublished on the Internet, thusensuring full transparency andequality of opportunit y.

This will be central to a culture ofprobity in public affairs, which theUNC is committed to fostering inTrinidad and Tobago.

Ministry of PublicAdministrationand ComplianceThe UNC government will go tothe next level in ensuring goodgovernance, transparency andprobity by establishing a Ministr yof Public Administration andCompliance.

This Ministry will deal proactivelywith the initiation of a legal andpolicy framework for ensuringTransparency and goodgovernance.

While other Departments deal withissues of misadministration after thefact, the new Ministry will beresponsible for the following:

Defining policy and strengtheningthe legal framework for ensuring

compliance with policies and idealsof transparency, accountability, fair-ness and probity in the manage -ment and disbursement of publicfunds.

Establishing and rigorously enforc-ing compliance with Codes of Ethicsfor all Ministries and state enterpris-es.

Overseeing and co-ordinating thework of internal audit units acrossMinistries to ensure that quarterlyreports are done on time and sub-mitted to the relevant Minister fortransmission to the Parliamentarywatch dog committees establishedunder Act 29 of 2001.

Strengthening the internal organi-zation and systems for accountabili-ty in all Ministries and state enter-prises.

Policing and enforcing proceduresand regulations to ensure trans-parency.

The Central Tenders Board to bescheduled under the Ministry ofPublic Administration andCompliance.

The new Ministry of PublicAdministration and Compliance willestablish an institutional frameworkfor civil society to oversee policy ontransparency and accountability,

14

D r. Fuad KhanF . R . C . S , B S c , M B B S , D i p . ( U r o l o g y )

San Juan / Barataria“A healthier nation is our goal. The UNC built dozens of health centres to expand rural access

to health care. We built two district health facilities, one at Couva and one at Princes Tow n .

We bought over 60 ambulances and launched the Emergency Health Service of T&T (EHS).

Over 600 nurses were trained to improve hospital care. We provided free surgery for children

with heart disease.”



17

Ganga SinghL L B , L E C , L L M

Caroni East“As a result of the UNC’s initiat i v e , over 85% of our population now receive pipe borne wat e r.The UNC government constructed a state of the art Desalination Facility in the Point Lisas areato accommodate the demand for water from the industrial plants in that area. The plantsupplies the entire industrial estate with 18 million gallons of water daily. WASA is now able tos e rvice its customers with a more reliable supply of wat e r. The UNC initiated construction of thenew National Library to ensure that our citizens could have access to books, art and culture.”

ment is a major issue for personsleaving the University and going tothe world of work.

The UNC will encourage majorprivate and state sector companiesto establish 2-year internshipprogrammes for Universitygraduates. Companies that establishinternship programmes will begiven a tax concession by thegovernment.

4) DISTANCE EDUCATION:The UNC has always been commit-ted to distance learning. In the 1995to 2000 term the Panday adminis-tration established the World’sfirstMinistry of Distance Learning.

The UNC administration will assistthe University to bring tertiary edu-cation to rural and remote areas ofTrinidad.

Specific emphasis will be placed inDistance Learning in Tobago.The mode of delivery for these pro-grammes will be Internet based.

Education continues to be thecornerstone of the UNC govern-ment’s development policy.The UNC believes that education isthe key to giving citizens theopportunity for personaldevelopment and advancement.

The UNC also believes that one ofhe essential factors in supportingthis country’s thrust to be morecompetitive is an equitable,advanced and effective educationsystem.

PRE-SCHOOL

The UNC built 18 new ChildhoodCare and Education Centres incommunities across the country,upgraded 22 centres and plan tobuild more.

Investment in childhood care andeducation will continue until all ourchildren of pre-school age have aplace in such a facility.

UNC increasedSchool lunches to80,000 studentsand introducednutritionally balanced breakfasts

TERTIARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The UNC government establishedthe Trinidad and Tobago Institute ofTechnology to focus on job relatedtechnical skills.


We have,as we l l ,t a ken the

d e m oc rat i z ation ofe d u cat i o n , so singu-l a rly adva n ced bythe UNC,to newl evels of studente m powe rm e nt andp a re nt re l i e f,with thei nt rod u ction of fre etext books in allp ri m a ry schoo l s,a n d$1,000 a year for TextBooks for eve rys e co n d a ry schoo ls t u d e nt in Tri n i d a dand To b a g o.

That is why we built 18 newChildhood Care and Education

Centres in communities across thecountry. We have also upgraded22 centres and plan to build 10more in 2001. Investment in thisarea will continue until all ourchildren of pre-school age have aplace in such a facility.


cers to investigate and detectmoney laundering offences

• The UNC will address the questionof appointing more magistrates andbuilding more courthouses.

• The UNC will address the problemin the prisons such as recruitingadditional officers, problems withaccommodation and rehabilitation.

PenaltiesThe UNC will introduce legislationto increase penalties to lifeimprisonment for kidnapping,rape, incest and armed robbery.

Law, Order andSecurity of LifeLawDevelopment of a CorrectionalTraining Programme for Youths

(a) A correctional training pro-gramme run by the Defence Forcein collaboration with the PoliceService and Prisons Service.(b) Only afforded to youths under18 years and first time convicted

felons who have been charged withmisdemeanors ( non violent crimessuch as petty thefts , drug use etc.)

(c) This can replace the YouthCamps that are at present of littlevalue to the community and theindividual attending the camp.

The Restructuring of the CCC Programme

There needs to be a drasticchange in the concept of theCivilian Conservation Corps, which ismanaged by the Defence Force. Thepresent format serves absolutely nobenefit to the individuals involved.The programme can be altered tobeing a Career Training Path.

Role of EngineeringBattalion (Regiment)

This Battalion comprises at least onethird of the manpower and most ofthe vehicles and machinery of theRegiment. However, very little isheard of this Battalion and very littleis achieved towards the country’sdevelopment.

It is recommended that due to thevast resources that they possess, theEngineering Battalion should nowbecome involved in projects involv-ing the construction, refurbishment,and repairs of buildings occupiedby non profitable organization such

as Schools, Orphanages and Homesfor the aged and under privileged.

Introduction of breathalyzer tests

The breathalyzer is an instrumentused for measuring alcohol inbreath,no one is convicted in thiscountry for driving whilst under theinfluence of alcohol.

HumanDevelopmentEducation$f$ ALL STUDENTS

1) DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR:The continuation and the expansionof the Dollar for Dollar programmeto eventually include all students atthe St Augustine campus.

2) RESEARCH AND THE POSTGRADUATE STUDENT:The UNC is committed to the devel-opment of a strong graduate schooland postgraduate culture at the StAugustine campus. The UNC iscommitted to linking research atthe University with real world prob-lems and solutions.

3) EMPLOYMENT FOR STUDENTS:The UNC recognizes that employ-

16

Arlene Maingot-AlexisB A , M S c

Arouca South “On av e r ag e , 249,127 tourists visited T&T during the period 1991-1995. During the UNC’s first

term the av e r age inflow for the period 1996-1999 was 324,183. Under the UNC the To b ag o

P l a n t ations Resort was opened with the 200-room hotel, To b ago Hilton. We presided over the

expansion of the hotel sector, with the approval of 40 hotel projects involving $1.3 billion worth

of investment and the creation of 2,000 permanent jobs.”



19

Kelvin RamnathB ( T e c . ) ( E n g . )

Couva South “Under the UNC administration the people of Trinidad and To b ago benefited enormously

as a result of the influx of over $1 billion worth of investment annually in the oil and

gas sector. Further expansion of existing plant and equipment will create more jobs

and greater prosperity to all citizens.”

Pulmonary Centre where thenation’s medical personnel willbe trained to assist in Heart andLung Medicine.

• San Fernando General Hospitalwill be developed into a high-tech Burns And Truama Centre

SOCIAL SERVICESThe UNC will improve the socialinfrastructure of all institutions inthis country with special empha-sis on a healthy and safe environ-ment.

Proper public amenities for chal-lenged persons. Wheelchairramps at all public places will bemandatory.

Improvement in the public trans-port system for all social assis-tance and senior citizens.

PUBLIC HEALTHEnvironmentally safe practiceswill be supported and encour-aged in all communities.

Enforcement of seat belt lawsand laws to combat drunken dri-ving.

Increase the equipment, servicesand personnel dedicated for the

prevention of diseases such asdengue, tuberculosis.

Pharmacies registered withMinistry of Health for dispensingof routine generic medicationsallowing easy access and lesswaiting times for medicationsand availablity over the week-ends.

SPECIALIZED RADIOLOGICALSERVICES– MRI SCANNERSAND RADIOACTIVE SCANNERSWe will encourage private sectorparticipation in the provision ofthese services with appropriatetax incentive for medical equip-ment and supplies.

We will allow regulation of ser-vices by National Ministry ofHealth certification proceduresof private providers with stan-dardization of policies and pro-cedures etc.

PREHOSPITAL CAREIn keeping with our track recordof performance in the health sec-tor with the introduction of theEmergency Health Service ofTrinidad and Tobago (EHSTT) wewill continue to upgrade this ser-vice to our people across thenation and thus:-


H I V / A I D S

The UNC Gove rn m e nt has and willco ntinue to co m b at the spread ofthis disease, t h rough a number ofm e a s u re s :

•A youth counselling prog ra m m e

•A Se co n d a ry School Se n s i t i z at i o nProg ra m m e

• Se n s i t i z ation Prog rammes with va r-ious inte rests groups thro u g h o u tthe co u nt ry including the Tra d eUnion Move m e nt, the Inte rReligious Org a n i z at i o n , the Me d i a ,the Business Co m m u n i ty and theYo u t h s.

• The Mo t h e r - to - Child Tra n s m i s s i o nProg ramme which is geare dtowa rds reducing the risk of the anu n bo rn child co nt ra cting this dis-ease from the mother.

• The dere g u l ation of the sale ofcondoms so that they are now morea c ce s s i b l e.

In addition to our preve ntion effo rt s,we re cognise the urg e nt need tot rea t persons who are alre a dyi n fe cted with the viru s.Th at is whywe had re d u ced the cost of drugs tot re at HIV/AIDS by 90%.Th at's a life-line to a substantial part of our po p-u l at i o n ,p roviding hope and ano p po rt u n i ty to live to thousands.

This is a re a l i ty, not a pro m i s e.


Our student target for participationat the tertiary le vel at 20% by year2005.

The UNC government proposes toexpand the Student Revolving LoanFund and Student Loan Guaranteefacility to include all post secondaryeducational institutions accreditedby the relevant Ministry

HealthThere is need for major restruc-turing of the Health Care policy,with a shift from curative to pre-ventative health care and a holis-tic approach to health aware-ness.

The major areas to be addressedare: -

• Primary Health Care• Secondary Health Care• Tertiary Health Care• The role of the R.H.A • The role of the Ministry• The role of the regulatory

and monitoring agenciesIn keeping with our perfor-

mance achievements, wewill improve our healthsystem to within reach ofstandards of developedcountries.

• We will introduce the National Health InsuranceSystem

We will introduce a unique iden-tifier system with all medicalrecords systems standardizedand implemented as a priority: -

• Every single citizen will haveone identification that will allowaccess to health care anywherein Trinidad and Tobago.

• Computerization will also allowpersons not carrying their ID butwho were previously registeredto be identified.

CANCER TREATMENT/RADIOTHERAPY CENTRES

• We will contract the servicesrequired for chemotherapy andradiotherapy in the short term toimprove the treatment for

patients afflicted with cancer.

• We will upgrade theRadiotherapy Centre at St.Jamesand increase the training ofrequired staff for this mostimportant service.

• We will establish an OncologyCentre at Eric Williams MedicalComplex

• We will encourage private sec-tor participation in provision ofspecial hospices beds and shortterm stay beds by providing taxincentives for specialized med-ical equipment and services inaddition to the establishment ofsame day surgery centres.

AIDS/DRUGS/ALCOHOL ABUSE REHABILITATION

• We will increase our emphasison the improvement of servicesand personnel to prevent andtreat the effects of this deadlydisease and addictions. St. Ann’sHospital will be used as a fullyequipped HIV/AIDS Centre.

• The Old Caura Hospital will beconverted to a Cardiac and

18

James David Lambertt r a d e u n i o n i s t

Diego Martin West “The UNC administration introduced for the first time ever a pension plan and a group health

plan for daily rated employ e e s . We gave over 8,000 daily rated workers security of tenure and

made these workers eligible for benefits applicable to permanent workers. We introduced

l e g i s l ation to compensate for injuries and death arising out of and in the course of employ-

ment for officers in the Po l i c e , Prison and Fire Serv i c e s . ”



21

Anil Juteramb u s i n e s s m a n , c o m m u n i t y w o r k e r

Toco/Manzanilla “In facilitating increased trade and investment the UNC government signed Trade Memoranda

Agreements with A r g e n t i n a ,B r a z i l , Pa r aguay and Uruguay. We have completed the fourth round

of trade negotiations with Mexico to formulate bilateral trade strategies and the UNC

i n i t i ated approaches to develop closer trade and business ties with Costa Rica.”

SportThe UNC government sees sportas a major vehicle in empower-ing our nation.

The UNC administration will fur-ther develop sport in all schools.Primary Schools will be the cra-dle for Sports. In addition toschools, the community basedclubs and teams will be encour-aged to organize sports in manydisciplines as possible. NationalSporting Organizations will beinvited to work with governmentto organize SustainableDevelopment Strategies.

A UNC Government will continueits upgrade of community recre-ational facilities throughout thecountry. To encourage cricket,your UNC government will set updedicated cricket facilities,strengthening clubs by assistingin building turf pitches, practicenets, dressing rooms, etc.

The UNC will continue tosupport the Cricket

Academy to which $2 million was given as agrant by the UNC.

The UNC Government openedthe Orange Grove Hockey Turf in1997 and plans three additionalartificial turfs in the north west-ern peninsula, San Fernando andTobago.

The UNC government will con-struct a modern 250 meter con-crete velodrome.

Boxing which was given a boostwith the UNC's hiring of Cubancoaches will continue to benefitfrom a UNC government. Allindoor boxing facilities will beoutfitted with specialised equip-ment.UNC will promote Trinidadand Tobago as a major venue forworld class boxing.

All indoor Volleyball facilitieswould also be outfitted with rel-evant equipment.UNC Ministerof Sport will meet with theVolleyball Association to set upBeach Volleyball to cater foryouths living near beaches.


We will upgrade the presentEHSTT which we introduced inthis country to include helicopteremergency evacuation andincrease the number of ambu-lances and personnel.

We will improve the training ofEHSTT personnel to higher level e.g.EMT intermediate and paramedics.

Our CulturalAgendaThe UNC believes that our richcultural diversity must be har-nessed for nation building .

Our first objective will be theestablishment of a NationalCommission for Culture, whichwill be made up of representa-tives of all sectors which havedisplayed creativity, inventive-ness and original thought.

This Commission will be givenpride of place in the decision-making process for national cul-tural development.Included inits first mandate will be: -

•We will assist Pan Trinbago inthe development of their recent-ly acquired property as a worldsite for steel band music, itsteaching and manufacture ofsteel pans. An accompanyingresearch center will provideinformation for the furtherdevelopment and promotion ofthis unique Trinbagonian contri-bution to world culture.

• Lands adjacent to the PanTrinbago site at Orange Grovewill be acquired for the creationof an Artist’s Village which will bea holistic settlement for the cre-ative and performing arts.

•The adjacent empty OrangeGrove Sugar Factory will be refur-bished as a living museum of oursugar industry, displaying a vitalaspect of our past and presentlife namely the sugar industry.This will add to the attraction ofthe Artist’s Village.

The aim would be to train acadre of teachers, performers,creators of artistic works andpractitioners, both for local con-sumption and foreign markets.

Continue to provide the enablingenvironment for the private sec-tor to invest in sponsorship ofcultural organizations and worksof art by revising tax concessionsand other allowances.Thesewould include sponsorship, thepurchase of works of art or therehabilitation of heritage sites orbuilding of national importance,identified through clearlydefined criteria.

Assist in the development ofmarketing of our entertainmentindustry as a visible and potentsource of income generation.

Identify, package and market ourcultural product;our folk art, ourfeasts, cuisine, languages, festi-vals, our flora and fauna as avibrant industry.

The objective of this all-inclusiveprogramme is to develop aviable and self-sustaining cultur-al industry that contributes tothe growth of our economy.

At the same time it will unleashthe enormous creativity of ourpeople and make our nation acenter-point of world culture.

20

D r. Jennifer Jones-KernahanD . V. M .

A r i m a“Caroni (1975) Limited will be transformed into a holding company that will establish profit

centres to enhance profitability and productivity of all sections of Caroni. We will expand the

o p e r ations of several divisions of Caroni to create MORE JOBS. The UNC will halt the PNM

imposed job separation programme at Caroni and seek to create an efficient export driven

and community responsive state enterprise.”


The U N CGove rn m e nt willn e g o t i ate with

the Cri c ke tBo a rd and assist

in upg ra d i n gthe Ba l m a i n

Cri c ket Ce nt re tohost wo rld cup

m atches in2 0 0 7 .Th i s

10,000 seate rf a c i l i ty will be of

i nte rn at i o n a ls t a n d a rd -

another pro j e ctto make T & T

p ro u d.


23

Manohar Ramsarans p o r t s m a n , c o m m u n i t y w o r k e r , p u b l i c s e r v a n t

C h a g u a n a s“The UNC introduced for the first time a Disability Assistance Grant to provide much needed

financial assistance to persons with permanent physical disabilities. We also removed customs

duty and VAT on health-care equipment needed by the physically challenged.”

EmploymentCreation Full employment is the key nationalobjective of our job creationprogramme. The UNC has a proudand unrivaled record on job cre-ation.In an expanding labour mar-ket, we reduced unemploymentfrom 17.2% in 1995 to a remarkablefigure of 10.8 in 2001.

In the new UNC term, we will targetover 100,000 jobs. In so doing it isanticipated that unemployment willbe reduced to less than 5%,theacceptable benchmark for fullemployment.

We will generate this through:

• Increased levels of foreign directinvestment

• Expansion of export output from

the manufacturing sector, with special incentives for non-oil export manufacturers

•Increased diversification of the services sector, with emphasis on upscale and niche tourism and telecommunications supported industries

•Expansion of education and training opportunities for young people without skills and

•Increased opportunities for training and skills developmentand life long learning for all citizens.

Jobs for All

The UNC believes that permanentemployment is the highest form ofempowerment. We have successful-ly adopted a strategy of investmentled growth to facilitate businessexpansion and massive job creation.

The Employmentand TrainingProgram

A UNC government will reinstatethe Employment and TrainingProgram (ETP) and disband themonolithic, visionless and highlycorrupt URP. The ETP will take aholistic and developmentalapproach to tackling the needs ofthe unemployed. While the programlends itself to light and heavy infra-structural enhancement work,thereis a priority on the development ofmarketable skills via the delivery ofa range of innovative training mod-ules. It is envisioned that the ETPwill mobilize the unemployed intraining to obtain and upgrade rele-vant skills, including literacy and


Unemployment Rates 1995-2001 (CSO Data)

0

5

10

15

20

25

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Years

%

Unemployment Rate

Male Unemployed

Female Unemployed

We will take a Fair Sh a reBill to the first wo rki n g

session of the new Pa rl i a m e nt.The Fair Sh a re Bill will

m a n d ate that a designate ds h a re of all Gove rn m e nt

p u rc h a s e s,capital pro j e ct si n c l u d e d,will go to qualified

small businesses.


Community andRural DevelopmentIn our first term the UNCAdministration invested heavily indeveloping rural T&T. We pavedroads, built schools and gave previ-ously neglected citizens access to allutilites.The UNC will optimise thesocial,economic and cultural net-works that we have put in place inour drive to further reduce andeventually eliminate poverty in thefollowing major areas: -

Social, Financial and Economic Development

•Continued promotion and support of small and microenterprises

•Facilitated access to markets for their products nationally, regionally and internationally

•Increased access to credit and savings schemes

•Linked the informal credit schemes of communities to formal credit institutions to provide greater support stability.

Governance and Capacity Building

•Building institutions and structures for meaningful grassroots and participation in decision making –

introducing a new policyframework for governance.

•Promoting decentralization and strengthening local authorities including Village Councils, CBOs and NGOs.

•Greater accountability and instilling anti-corruption policies and practice

•Extending necessary support t odisadvantaged communities,particularly in rural areas, through access to credit, skills training,education and infrastructural upgrade programmes.

Environment managementThe UNC will initiate support for:

• NGOs managing and policing their own watersheds, water courses,drains including prevention of illegal dumping and pollution.

•Communities managing their own disposal of waste through collective paid for incentives.

•Community action groups thatmaintain their environment.

•Initiatives that facilitate and encourage replanting of vegetation removed through fires and poor land use, and the creation and maintenance of parks and open space.

•Programmes for engendering pride in the community through programmes, which promotephysical and mental health

and safety.

•Enhance the education system with a redefinition of literacy toinclude in addition to reading,writing and arithmetic it as well as computer literacy,multi-lingual skills and entrepreneurial training.

Youth and CrimeIt is a hallmark of the disgracefulmanner in which the PNM has failedour youth,that today many of ouryoung people constitute thebiggest threat to law-abiding citizens.

A special job program will be fash-ioned for young offenders returningto civil society after periods of incarceration. The UNC believes thatjobs and social rehabilitation mustbe integrated. We will link the focuson managing conflict and managing life.

Youth and HealthThe UNC will swiftly tackle healthhealth challenges specific to thenation’s youth,in the areas of sexualand reproductive health,HIV/AIDS,drugs, alcoholism and the relatedincidence of driving under theinfluence of alcohol.

22

Norris Fergusonf o r m e r n a t i o n a l f o o t b a l l e r , s e c u r i t y c o n s u l t a n t

La Brea“ Your UNC government built four new stadia to facilitate the development of sports and youth

in T & T. We refurbished dozens of basketball courts and other sporting facilities and built

community swimming pools throughout the country. ”



25

Subhas PandayL L B , L E C

Princes Town “No administration in our history has dealt as effectively with issues of corruption andt r a n s p a r e n cy than the UNC. We passed legislation and strengthened the institutions toc o m b at public misconduct, abuse of authority and ensure transparency in public office. T h eUNC passed and implemented the Freedom of Information Act (No. 26 of 1999), the Integrity inPublic Life Act (No. 83 of 2000), the Constitution (Amendment) (Pa r l i a m e n t a ry Committee) A c t( N o . 29 of 1999), the Judicial Review Act (No. 60 of 2000) and the Equal Opportunity Act (No.69 of 2000).”

Our EconomicAgendaThe UNC agenda is tomake Trinidad and Tobagoone of the three mostcompetitive nations in theAmericas


• Cre ate over 130,000 n ew jobs

• R e d u ce Youth Un e m p l oy m e nt by 50%

• R e - i nt rod u ce the Oc c u p ational Health and Sa fe ty Bill

• I nt rod u ce the Em p l oy m e nt I n j u ry and Di s a b i l i ty Benefits Bill

• I nt rod u ce Basic Conditions of Wo rk Bill

• Amend the Trade Union Act

• I nt rod u ce Fair Sh a re Business Bill

• I nt rod u ce the National Skills Bill

Strategies for Economic Development• En h a n ce the education sys te mwith a redefinition of lite ra cy toinclude in addition to the Th re eR s.Co m p u ter lite ra cy, m u l t i - l i n-gual skills and ent re p re n e u ri a lt ra i n i n g.

• En s u re that the humanre s o u rce of Trinidad and To b a g ois among the most prod u ct i ve inthe wo rld by re - e d u cating 25%of the labour fo rce each ye a r.

• I n c rease the number of stu-d e nts who are in te rt i a ry educa-tion by 20% each year for themedium te rm .This is essential ifTrinidad and Tobago is tobe come a cre ator of kn ow l e d g e.

Wh at we will do:


entry-level technical skills.

The goal of the ETP is to graduatethe employed out of a dependenc ysyndrome by delivering training andskills for enhancing labour marketemployability. Special focus will begiven to training of single mothersfor co-operative business venturesand small scale, light export drivenactivities.

Consistent with our vision ofdeveloping a knowledge-basedsociety that is technologicallydriven, we will ensure that workersin the ETP participate in techno-literacy training programmes.

SpecialEmployment for Single MothersThe UNC is sympathetic to thepeculiar disadvantages facingthousands of single mothersthroughout Trinidad and Tobago,particularly those persons in thelower income groups withoutadequate education and skills.Toalleviate the plight of this sectorof the population, we propose tointroduce a special employmentprogram targeting single moth-ers. Emphasis will be placed ontraining enabling women tooperate small scale trades withinthe framework of developingcottage industries. Such flexi-work will present income-earn-ing possibilities while allowingfor creative forward and back-

ward linkages.The ETP will initi-ate this programme collabora-tion with the SBDC and other rel-evant agencies.

The transformational objectivesof the new ETP are to provideincome support to the unem-ployed and the poverty-strickenwhile providing relevant trainingand skill enhancement for thosepersons to seek and obtain fulltime employment in the growingeconomy.

24

Princess Smartc o m m u n i t y w o r k e r , s o c i a l a c t i v i s t

Laventille West “In a bid to ease the burden on the poor, the UNC government removed VAT and import duty

on thirteen basic food items. The UNC also introduced the forward looking Employment and

Training Programme (ETP) which assisted over 45,000 poverty stricken citizens in 2001 alone

to obtain an income and at the same time acquire the skills to develop themselves to secure

longer term permanent jobs.”


• Cre ated over 80,000 new jobs

• I nt rod u ced the first eve rMinimum Wage of $7 per hour

• The Mate rn i ty Pro te ction Act1 9 9 8

•The Minimum Wages Ord e r1 9 9 9

• Established Tri p a rt i teCo n s u l t at i ve Me c h a n i s m s

Wh at we h ave done:

We will wo rk inp a rtnership with

b u s i n e s s, l a bour andall elements of civils oc i e ty to build ap ro s pe rous and pro-g re s s i ve soc i e ty withour people living inpe a ce and harm o nyand wo rking pro-d u ct i vely to securetheir future and thef u t u re of many gener-ations of Tri n i d a d i a n sand Tobagonians toco m e.


27

Gavin NicholasL L B , D i p ( L e g a l S t u d i e s )

Diego Martin East “ To deal with increased cross border criminal activity the UNC strengthened the Coast Guard

and deployed anti-drug aircraft and ships to protect our coastline. The UNC signed the

“ S h i p r i d e r s ” agreement with the USA to further strengthen our capacity to fight the drug lords.

We increased the administrative and support staff of the Judiciary and Mag i s t r a cy. ”

mandate by 2000 this figure grew exponentially to25,000 customers. In November 1995,only 5,000 persons used cellular phones, today this figure hasexploded to nearly 250,000.

In the new UNC term of office, we will seek to establisha Research,Science and Technology policy for Trinidadand Tobago. Such a policy will harmonize the development of the information and communicationsinfrastructure with the social and economic development imperatives of the country.

Developing the Industry of the Future

The corollary to the development of an intelligentnation is the development of a service sector toprovide jobs for your skilled nationals. To this end the services industries to be developed are:

• Software Design• Web Hosting and design• Telemarketing Centres• Help desk Facilities• Dictaphone Translations

The Government will promote these industries byproviding tax incentives and concessions on equip-ment, depending on the size of the project and theamount of jobs created. The services sector will beafforded meaningful tax incentives for new investmentin knowledge-based industries.


The UNC recognizesthat growth,develop-ment, expansion andcompetitive capacityare essential for wealthcreation,more oppor-tunities and more jobsto be created in theeconomy.

Towards this end, thebusiness sector mustbe supported by avibrant and responsivePublic Sector thatmeets the needs of allcitizens.

Transformation of thePublic Sector willcontinue to take placeduring the next termof UNC Government.

This will involvecontinuing trainingand developing strate-gies, a major shift frompersonnel manage-ment to humanresource management,the installation of aninformation backbone

and the introduction of e-governmentthroughout the publicsector systems and therealignment andrestructuring of existing Ministries withappropriate staffingand others resources.

We have alreadyde-linked the teachingservices from the public service and significantly increasedthe salary of teachers.

We have also de-linkedthe Military and members of theDefence Force havealso received salaryincreases.

Public sector transformation is ourway of ensuring effi-cient and effectivegovernment at everylevel in our drive topropel Trinidad andTobago to first worldstatus.

Public ServicesTransformation

The UNC gove rn m e nt has established the College ofS c i e n ce,Te c h n o l ogy and Applied Arts of Tri n i d a d

and Tobago so that this co u nt ry can not only meet theCA R I COM target for te rt i a ry part i c i p ation of 15% buts u rpass it. Our student target for part i c i p ation at thete rt i a ry level is 20% by year 2005.


Housing and SettlementsA Housing Imperative will address all sectors of thepopulation and all family units, from the employed tothe unemployed and single parent.

The UNC Housing Programme of 10,000 new andimproved homes per year will be co-ordinatedthrough the National Advisory Committee onHousing.

The UNC will continue to make serviced housing plotsand housing available to the low and very low incomefamilies through a “Shelter for all by 2020”programme.

The UNC will also address the housing requirement ofthe middle income by making lands available forconstruction through private development.

The UNC will continue it’s programme of providingland for the landless, housing for low income families.

In a revolutionary Land Reform programme, the UNCwill provide land to the landless at $25,000 on lowinterest, 30 year mortgages. The Shelter for All will notjust end with a roof, it will continue with the pr ovisionof community centers, health centers, training centersand increased opportunities for jobs and microenterprises and small business development.

The UNC Aims to get Technology RightCommunity Internet Cafes, open 7 days a week, forweb access and computer literacy training, staffed bywhiz kids and catering to underprivileged youth as ameans of imparting mar ketable skills to and generat-ing new jobs for young people.

The concept of an Intelligent Nation and its nexus toInformation Technology is integral to the newKnowledge-based Economy by a UNC Government.

Getting the IT Policy right and accelerating itsadvancement will be a key priority for the new UNCgovernment. Convergence in the Telecommunicationssector is a critical area that will herald a world of ser-vice opportunities previously untapped, and will bethe catalyst for the emergence of service rela tedindustries.

There can be no doubt that the UNC catalysed overthis country’s rapid stride in information technology.We provided the visionary leadership to drive our neweconomy.

When the UNC entered office in 1995,there were 100Internet customers at TSTT. When you renewed our

26

Carol Cuffy-DowlatL L B , L E C

San Fernando East“The UNC administration introduced pioneering legislation to protect women. We passed the

M aternity Protection Act that guarantees female workers pay for maternity leave and protects

women from being fired when they become pregnant. We passed the Domestic Violence Act

to protect women, we established 19 Drop-In Centres for immediate assistance and

i n f o r m ation to abused women.”


• The te l e co m m u n i cations env i ro n m e nt will be l i be ra l i ze d,the issue of bandwidth will be dealtwith and e-co m m e rce will be facilitated as a newbusiness secto r.

• I n d u s t rial Po l i cy will focus on economic grow t h ,p rod u ct i v i ty, q u a l i ty and the widening of the e conomic base by the deve l o p m e nt of a dynamic and self-sustaining non-oil secto r. Pri o ri ty secto r sfor growth will be light manufact u ri n g, a g ri - b u s i-n e s s,m a ri n e, re c re at i o n a l ,e nte rt a i n m e nt,i nte rn a-tional financial serv i ce s, e d u cational serv i ce s,health ca re serv i ce s, i n fo rm ation te c h n o l ogy,te l e co m m u n i cat i o n s, and to u ri s m .


29

Frank FerreiraD i p . ( B u s i n e s s )

Port of Spain South “In the period of UNC governance, we imposed NO NEW TA X E S . The UNC increased personal

tax allowances from $12,000 to $25,000. This is equivalent to a $13,000 gift to the taxpayers.”

Vision for theEnvironment:

Every aspect of our lives from themanagement of our homes to thelargest commercial operation hasthe potential for negative impacton our environment.

A UNC government will take allsteps necessary to assure thatdevelopment occurs with dueregard for the conservation andcare of our environment.

A UNC Government will work inclose collaboration with everysector of society to improveenvironmental protection and toensure that our physical development is undertaken in anecologically sound manner.

A UNC Government will support theeducation of all citizens in the care,maintenance and where possible,the improvement of our environ-ment.


Land use Plan for Piarco International Airport

The proposed use to which the 6000 hectares of land at Piarco International Airport will be put: -

• Terminal Expansion• Commercial/Industrial Long-term Cargo• General Aviation• Fuel Farm• Maintenance Facilities• Hotels/Convention Centre• Duty Free Warehousing

Crown Point Airport

Crown Point Airport will be upgraded and refurbished to bring the services in line with thePiarco International Airport.

Airports


InfrastructuralDevelopment:In order to promote a quality nationand provide the environment forsustained economic development,our agenda for infrastructural devel-opment will involve:

• Ongoing provision of basicrequirements of water, sanitation,drainage and irrigation;• Expansion of our internal trans-portation system;• Modernization of our urban areasand seaports

28

D r. Adesh NananB S c . D i p . ( P h a r m ) , D D S

Ta b a q u i t e“The UNC administration placed security guards in 55 high-risk schools and implemented

“Schools Intervention Strat e g i e s ” to address indiscipline and violence in schools. We

implemented the school transportation system to provide 12,671 seats per day on 141 routes

for 50 schools. We expanded the school-feeding programme to provide meals (incl u d i n g

breakfast) for over 80,000 students.”


• We will Construct a congestion-free interchange at

the intersection of the Uriah Butler and Churchill-

Roosevelt Highways, to ease the daily frustrations of

hundred of thousands of travellers between North,

South, East and West.

• The Solomon Hochoy Highway will be extended to

Pt. Fortin.

• The UNC intends to preserve and assist the valuable

public transport operators, maxi-taxis and bus indus-

tries, while introducing a mass transit system to com-

plement their efforts and to improve the capacity for

serving the travelling public along the busy urban

corridors.

• The Jetty at the San Fernando Waterfront will be

reconstructed with a view to establishing sea-links

between Trinidad and Venezuela.

Internal Transport

We mustbecome an

Intelligent Nationin the technolo-gies of the 21stCentury. This willlead directly tomore than100,000 well paying jobs in thenext five years.


31

Harry PartapB S c . , j o u r n a l i s t

N a r i v a“ We in the UNC have an obsession with job creat i o n . For us, e m p l oyment is the best route

out of poverty. We created over 80,000 new jobs between 1995-2001. In the process

u n e m p l oyment tumbled down from 17.5 % in 1995 to 10.8% in 2001, the lowest in two

d e c a d e s . We introduced the first ever- n ational minimum wage of $7.00.”

Getting the politics right is neededfor achieving good government.This must be one of the mantras ofthe UNC Election Campaign. Thepolitics of the UNC must be basedupon a philosophical underpinningthat we need to nurture a strongsociety. A society in which individu-als, families and communities act ina responsible manner.

Yes, the state needs to be able tooffer to the less fortunate straight-forward, reliable help when timesare bad. But our able bodied citizensshould not become dependent onthe state when times are good.

The PNM is recreating a welfarestate; they are shirking the responsi-bility of creating a modern society. Ifwe are to develop a stronger societywe must encourage our citizens totake responsibility for themselvesand define a smaller more efficien tgovernment.

Professor Peter Taylor-Goody of theUniversity of Kent, "The well estab-lished welfare states of Germany

and Sweden clearly understandsthat the welfare state might not beable to avoid radical change muchlonger." - Newsweek September 16 -September 23,2002.

Bernd Marin, Vienna's EuropeanCentre for Social Welfare Policy,"Complete collapse of the systemwill occur between 2012 and 2015 -if nothing is done" - NewsweekSeptember 16 - September 23,2002.

The next UNC government willbuild a stronger society. We will pro-vide support for individuals andfamilies when they need it.

We will encourage people to takeresponsibility for themselves andtheir families.

We need to create a strong societybuilt on respect for all people -whatever their race, colour, class,religion,gender and age. For when astate cannot keep order throughoutits territory, for all practical purposes,it becomes a failed state.


Getting the Politics Ri g ht isneeded for Ac h i eving Good

Gove rn m e nt It is in theinterest of the

nation and thefuture of thechildren that onthe 7th ofOctober, everyvoter casts aballot to end thedeadlock ofclose elections,and to end thegridlock, thetensions, andthe instability ofclose electionsresults.


30

Gillian LuckyL L B , L E C

Pointe a Pierre “ To combat crime, we placed 1,741 new police officers on the streets. We built 22 new police

s t at i o n s , added 241 new police vehicles and ordered the recently acquired hi-tech A s t r aHybrid police cars. We introduced the novel community policing programme and strengthenedthe highway pat r o l s . Under the UNC, we placed the drug dens under siege by conducting over

10,000 raids resulting in over 7,000 arrests. We introduced legislation and seized the assetsof convicted drug lords and turned the former estate of a notorious drug kingpin into a drug

r e h a b i l i t ation center. ”


The imperatives of the develop-ment of the Agricultural Sector,must be viewed primarily in thecontext of the building blocks ofNational Development.

“Our efforts in developing aNational Food and NutritionPolicy and Plan of Action are anintegral part of the de velopmen-tal thrust, providing a means ofremedying undesirable trends inthe food, nutrition and healthsituation,which may have arisenfrom inappropriate policies andirrational consumer choices.”

Considerable effort is put intoexport oriented enterprises toprovide employment and saveresources to pay for imports,very little value is attached toencourage food security andself-reliance, or in promotingpreference for local foods, whichare culturally and nutritiouslymore beneficial.

Food Security must be per -ceived as the action plan forsustainable living. Publicpolicy and planning civilsociety campaigns must nowaddress this issue urgently’.

SECTOR POLICY 2002This vision is suppor ted by apolicy framework,which aimsto achieve the following goals:

• Food and Nutrition Security in Trinidad and Tobago as the basis for national development

• Capitalization and investment,leading to increased savings generated by the agricultural sector.

• Development of Biotechnologyand information technologyunderpinning agricultural Development

• Development of agri-business,food processing, livestock and fisheries sectors especially in the area of value added production for the local and export markets.

• Increase in agriculture’scontribution to GDP, foreign exchange earnings and domestic savings.

• Expansion of agricultural employment, wages, decrease in agricultural risks.

• Agricultural developmentserving as a catalyst for rural development.

• Expansion of the non-tradition- al agricultural export sector.

Agriculture and Agri-Business

Revitalisation of theagricultural sector by

linking production tomarkets provided by anexpanded school feedingprogramme, a pro-activeNAMDEVCO, and a vigor-ous and expandingtourism industry.

• We will also ventureseriously and systemati-cally into organic agricul-ture initiatives.


33

D r. Roodal MoonilalB S c , M A , P h D

O r o p o u c h e“The UNC has expanded and modernized the Te l e c o m m u n i c ations Network. We facilitat e dthe exponential increase in the number of Internet and Cellular users. We passed theTe l e c o m m u n i c ations Act to ensure a genuinely competitive environment for the expansion ofthe telecom sector. We began construction of the Te c h n o l o gy Park at Wa l l e r f i e l d , as the SiliconValley of the Caribbean. We placed hundreds of computers at schools and establishedcomputer labs in 44 schools so that children can acquire the knowledge and skills neededfor jobs in today’s world.”

The UNC has six proud years ofaccomplishment in the area ofLabour and Industrial Relations.We have given greater power toworker organizations whileenhancing the environment forbusiness expansion and jobcreation.While we promotedindustrial democracy by workerparticipation at the enterprisewe encouraged job creation byfacilitating massive investmentand reducing taxes.

On the other hand it is thegeneral feeling that thebusiness community hassuffered much over the lastnine months. Business hasbeen down,profits have beendown,only kidnappings havebeen on the upswing. Thisdevastating trend has to bestopped.

The UNC is guided by the philos-ophy that individuals, employeesand employers have both rightsand responsibilities.The UNCgovernment will continue toemphasize those responsibilitieswhile promoting policy and leg-

islation that protect workersrights. The UNC seeks to encour-age business people andentrepreneurs in their efforts asit seeks to protect workers. Ahealthy relationship is essentialfor our future growth.

Indeed the UNC’s record onimplementing protective legisla-tion is unrivaled. Only the UNCcould have introduced for thefirst time in this country’s historya Minimum Wage!

The private sector has beenaccepted as the engine ofgrowth for the economy.

In the future, the private sectorwill be expected to play an evenbigger role in economic develop-ment by participating fully in theformulation and implementationof economic policy and in market access negotiations.

The private sector will also beexpected to be more proactive inthe social sector with respect tocommunity and social develop-ment.

Industrial Policy will focus oneconomic growth, productivity,quality and the widening of theeconomic base by the develop-ment of a dynamic and self-sustaining non-oil sector. Prioritysectors for growth will be lightmanufacturing, agribusiness,marine, recreational,entertain-ment, international financialservices, educational services,health care services, informationtechnology, telecommunications,and tourism.

For each of these sectors amaster plan will be developedthat addresses all the issues thatimpact on competitivenessincluding;legislation,incentives,the development of clusters,human resource development,the use of modern technology,infrastructure requirement,international marketing, andthe use of e-commerce.

The UNC seeks your mandate torebuild a positive business imagein our country.


L A B O U R A N D B U S I N E S S


• “Economic performance among the strongest in the Caribbean and Latin

America” – IMF 2001 Staff Report

• “Robust growth, more job creation, lowinflation, balanced fiscal and external trade accounts, as well as povertyreduction”

--IMF 2001 Staff Report

• The strongest and most vibranteconomy in CARICOM

• One of the most successful small states in the world

• 6.4% Growth in 2000, higher than the U.S, Europe and Japan

• US$2.4 Billion in Foreign reserves

• One of the 5 countries of the developing world that have been most successful in overcoming severepoverty

• 6 straight years of strong economic growth

• 6 straight years of growing foreign investment

• 40% Drop in Unemployment Rate

• 85,000 new permanent jobs

• Inflation currently at 2.5%

• 6 straight years with no new taxes

• 6 straight years of Increased Personal Tax Allowances

• Universal Free Secondary Education

• 52 new primary, 35 new secondary schools

• Dollar for Dollar Education Plan

• 6 straight years of increased and stronger social safety net programmes

32

Patricia Herryb u s i n e s s w o m a n , c o m m u n i t y w o r k e r

Laventille East/Morvant “Under the UNC the postal services were transformed. To d a y, mail is delivered to the doorsteps

of 61% of the populat i o n . Twenty-four hour delivery is guaranteed in Port of Spain, and within

48 hours to the rest of the country. ”


R e m e m ber the Good Old Days be fo re De ce m ber 24th, 2 0 0 1 ?

UNC Pro j e cts 2002• $1000 Secondary School

Book Grant– kidnappedand bungled by the PNM

• Free primary schoolbooks– undelivered

by the PNM

• $1000 Old Age Pension–delivered

• BWIA Boulevard– kidnapped by the PNM

• Desalination Plant–delivered

• Uriah Butler/ChurchillRoosevelt Interchange–UNC organised $150M to

build...undelivered by the PNM

• Free School Breakfases(sic)– bungled by the PNM


34

D r. Vincent LasseB A , M A , P h D ( I n t . L a w )

Point Fortin“The UNC administration took the bold step of creating the first ever Ministry of the

E n v i r o n m e n t . We established the Environment Management Authority (EMA) and formulat e d

a National Environment Po l i cy. The visionary leadership of the UNC facilitated the expansion

of the recy cling industry. ”


The UNC in it’s new term in office will ensureswift and efficient delivery of these andother projects without the fiascos whichaccompanied PNM’s attempt to hi-jack UNCprojects in our country in recent months.


35

Chandresh L.D. Sharmar e l i g i o u s l e a d e r , c o m m u n i t y a n d s o c i a l w o r k e r

F y z a b a d“The UNC government expanded the higher-level education infrastructure in T & T. We creat e d

four major tertiary level educational institutions since 1995 – the National Training A g e n cy ;

The College of Science, Te c h n o l o gy and Applied Arts; the T&T Institute of Te c h n o l o gy and

the National Energy Skills Center. ”

The UNC will right the PNM’s fourdecades of wrongs.

No other Caribbean island is blessedwith anywhere near the incompara-ble natural attributes of Trinidadand Tobago. Yet no other country,anywhere, has done less than ourtwin-island state, to convert out-standing natural attributes to eco-nomic benefits for its citizens.Long ago, the PNM haughtilyintoned that Trinidad and Tobagowas not to become ‘a nation ofbusboys and waiters’ by embracingtourism.

From that moment, we’ve beenmissing the proverbial boat, and forthat matter, the tourism plane, aswell. Not for us, the inflow of foreigncash,the fillip to agriculture andcraft and culture that tourismdelivers. So a generation not yetborn when that utterance was madehas been robbed of untold benefitsbecause of the PNM’s rejection oftourism as a generator of jobs andfuel for the economy.

Other regional governments wereless shortsighted. With a lot less


Tobago & To u ri s m

AN “INTELLIGENT NAT I O N ”


37

Hamza RafeeqM B B S

Caroni Central“The UNC government acquired drugs to combat the AIDS virus. Such medication was

provided to patients at 10% of the cost. We purchased over $60 million in new equipment

for the hospitals and health centers.”

Our objective over thenext five years is to moveTrinidad and Tobago

from a medium human develop-ment country to a high humandevelopment country; to havethis country climb systemati-cally from being a middleincome country to being a highincome country. Within the nextfive years we must intensify theprocess of establishing ourselvesin the mind of all as a country,which,though small, is an “intelli-

gent nation”, and a highlydeveloped country.Achieving such an objective willallow more of our highly skilledhuman resources to remain athome; Trinidad and Tobago willbe able to retain,encourage andattract quality investmentsthat will generate attractivehigh-paying jobs.

To achieve these objectives, wewill open up of theTelecommunications sector; andwe will negotiate the reductionof telephone rates and the costof other telecommunicationsbased services.In our thrust to transformTrinidad and Tobago into an“intelligent nation”, we will ensurethe highest levels of comput-er literacy in our primary andsecondary schools.

We will expand internet connec-tivity in this country from thecurrent 60,000 to 300,000 by2005. We will have every primaryand secondary school and everycommunity based learning cen-

tre connected to the internetwithin two years.

In Trinidad & Tobago over the last6 years, the UNC governmenthad brought T&T to the brink ofDeveloped Nation Status in theworld. Sadly over the last eightmonths this dominant positionhas been eroded. Therefore whenthe UNC government returns topower, they will push to re-estab-lish T&T’s position among thenations whose education stan-dards are the highest in theworld.

The UNC government will ensurethat the human resource ofTrinidad and Tobago is amongthe most productive in the worksby re-educating the labour force.The UNC encouraged programssuch as TTIT and the NationalTraining Agency to educate andre-train youth. The positive effectof these programs are alreadyclearly evident.In addition, toattract knowledge based indus-tries, the UNC recognized that itwas important to have high qual-


By the end of thed e ca d e, with momen-

tum generated by aUNC gove rn m e ntover the next five

ye a r s,Trinidad andTobago can be co m e

the most highlyd e s i rable co u nt ry in

which to live andwo rk in the ent i re

We s te rn He m i s p h e re.


than we have going for us, theircitizens have benefited handsomelyfrom tourism.

Barbados, The Bahamas andBermuda are prime examples ofhow natural assets can be convert-ed to economic assets, to theenduring benefit of all.

Tragically, the PNM,in four decadesof government, never had a viabletourism policy. This has deniedTobago and Tobagonians theeconomic opportunities that thecitizens of smaller, less appealingdestinations now enjoy.

One of the major anomalies inglobal destination management isthat tourism development for ourtwo islands was never a concern of

the owners of BWIA. The unique andinvaluable benefit of ownership andcontrol of an international air carrieryielded no particular benefit toTobago’s tourism over the years.Indeed, there is now the hugeanomaly of internal airlift betweenTobago and Trinidad being a cabo-tage granted to a foreign carrier.

Notwithstanding the unendingoutpouring of election goodies bythe Manning administration, com-munications between our twinislands have had no value added bythe current incarnation of theManning government.Such dereliction in an election yearwould not have taken place had thePNM not been holders of the twoTobago seats in the House ofRepresentatives. To right the recur-

ring PNM wrongs to Tobago andtourism,the UNC will,if elected:

Immediately commission a TaskForce of international tourismmarketing developers to defineand package Trinidad andTobago’s cornucopia of tourismproducts and to fine-tune abranding strategy for tourism.

Within 90 days, Trinidad andTobago Tourism Inc, aprivate/public sectorentity to drive the marketing ofour tourism brands, will beestablished. TT Tourism Inc. willmarket a full portfolio of tourismbrands, thus optimizing themarketing potential of Trinidadand Tobago’s diverse tourism mix.

36

Anthony NeroS o c i a l W o r k e r

St. Ann’s East “The UNC improved the terms and condition of employment for several categories of

public officers. We regularized and gave protection to thousands of special reserve police

(SRP) officers. The UNC provided a $10,000 interest free loan to public officers to

enable them to purchase a computer. ”



ity humans to create a qualitynation.Such programs shall becontinued with urgency.

The UNC will develop programsspecific to our youth entrepre-neurs to provide mentoring andbusiness counseling for thosewith the risk taking potential andrelevant human capital to learnmore about the real globalbusiness environment.The UNCwill call upon our seasoned andglobally competitive businessleaders to “adopt” youth busi-nesspersons for such an appren-ticeship program.

In the twenty first century, it isestimated that knowledge willbecome obsolete at the rate of20% per year. To keep up ourhuman resource skills currenttherefore, all people must be reg-ularly re-educated .

The UNC is committed to provid-ing retraining, skills developmentand human development pro-grammes for all workers so thatthey will be able to work andenjoy a better quality of life in anever changing economy.

In keeping with the strate-gic goals of the UNC, theUNC proposes the following:

•A rate of growth of approximately 5 % per year

•Managing inflation tounder 5 % per year

•Reducing unemploymentto under 9%

The UNC will once againinstitute and manage theeconomy with the imple-mentation of StrongEconomic Programs:

•Effective Monetary and financial policy

•Efficient allocation of public resources

•Export-led growth in the non-oil sector with a projected contribution toGDP averaging 75% per annum.

• Foreign exchange reserves

38

Elizabeth Aw a iS o c i a l W o r k e r , E n t e r t a i n e r

Port of Spain/St. Anns West “The UNC introduced the “ Wo m e n ’s Second Chances” program to provide training and skill

enhancement for single women. We also passed laws such as the Co-habitational Relat i o n s

Act to redress historical injustices whereby women were deprived of any claims to property

and assets acquired by partners in common law unions.”


We shall encour-age the youth togrow as responsi-

ble politicalcitizens. We shall

host a youth parliament andallow youth toevaluate and

formulate youthpolicy.

At the same timewe shall assist andguide the youth...We shall train and

harness theirenergies in every

walk of life.

Goals andObjectives

for theEconomy


39

Richard ThomasB S c

Arouca North “The UNC refurbished 53 community centers throughout T & T. We established homework cen-

ters where children receive free tuition after school hours. Through the UNC’s “Adopt a

C o m m u n i t y ”P r o g r a m m e ,p r i v ate sector companies are today assisting over twenty

communities across T & T. ”


to average at least 4.5 months of prospectiveimports.

•PSIP to focus on strength-ening and expanding the services available tocitizens.

•Current account balanceto remain strong in surplus in the medium term

•Capital account to remain positive due to new FDI and increased capital market activity.

•Balance of payment toremain strong inn the medium term

•Reduction of external debt by restructuring,refinancing and prudentdebt management.

Other Actions forstrengthening the economy

• Further enhancement of national savings and investments by the introduction of appropriate incentives.

• The report of the VentureCapital Task Force will be

implemented.

• The regime will berepositioned to shift it focus away from SME enterprises only and in particular to facilitateinvestments in new knowledge based industries.

• Maintaining of macroeco-nomic stability through fis-cal and budgetary disci-pline.

• Strengthening of supervi-sion and regulation of thegrowing domestic financialsector and expandingcapital market. In particularan early warning system forthe prediction of financialfailure will be introduced.

Institutional reform andregulatory strengthening

• Reform of pension andsocial security system. Theissue of the portability ofpensions will be decisivelyresolved. In addition theplight of single parent will

be address by enhancingsocial safety measures.

• Legislation will be intro-duced to govern ESOPs andCollective InvestmentVehicles

• A revenue StabilizationFund will be established ona permanent basis

• A regulatory body for thesupervision of the entirefinancial sector will be intro-duced and T & T will adhereto the most demandingstandards of financial pru-dence.

• The Credit UnionMovement will be strength-ened.

The UNC encourages eachperson to become a goodmanager of their ownhome. We shall manageour country effectivelyand we shall manage ourhomes.

May our homes and ourcountry be blessed.


Trinidad and Tobago is known as a blessed nation.Islands where we look forward to the next long weekend.The Land where Carnival was perfected, and the “Fete” was invented.We make cook, we pray and we celebrate.This is how we know to live, happy and carefree!

In the past 8 months we are faced with the unpleasant factthat our safety and security has been threatened.We are no longer safe to drive on the streets, take our children to the beaches.The elders of our society have said that “he who starts something can stop a thing,and he who stops that thing can start it again”.

Over the past 6 years of governance by the Panday-led UNC Administration,we have experienced a surge in infrastructural development,a strengthening and an empowerment of our all citizens of our society.

At forty we need to evaluate. Sometimes we have to cast aside old habits.The UNC government has shown their fellow citizens, how a country can be run,and how a bright shining future can be made.

When coffee was king, T&T had it, when sugar was king, T&T also had itwhen oil was king in the 1970’s ,it made PNM look good, but where did it take us?Without any king, the UNC government was able to grow the economyand improve the quality of life for all. The UNC will take us there!

The UNC party can pick up the mantle of government again,and lead our fellow citizens into a new Trinidad and Tobago,where each citizen will have an equal opportunity to succeed in life dependant upon their efforts.The UNC can do this because the UNC delivers growth, not apparent race problems.The UNC knows how to get people of all races to come together and together we shall succeed.

Come out and join us at the voting booth,Vote UNCFor your future,For your children’s sake and for your own.

40

Nizam BakshD i p . ( Y o u t h W o r k ) , r e l i g i o u s l e a d e r

N a p a r i m a“The UNC administration pioneered the revolution in enhancing pensions. We increased old

age pensions by over 100% from a paltry $ 356.15 in 1995. We provided free bus passes and

removed the $ 100 departure tax for our elderly. We initiated a Hardship Relief program for

pensioners to cut water rates by almost 25%.”


strong leadership for a strong t&t the united …pension payments from 60 years the unc doubled...

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