3 months ago
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The Opposition’s shadow finance minister, Brian Manning, has delivered a scathing critique of the government’s handling of the national economy, accusing the administration of offering little more than “gobbledygook” in place of a clear, actionable plan.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday at the Office of the Opposition Leader along Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, Manning said the country continues to reel from economic uncertainty, and the population is being fed vague statements and empty promises instead of a well-defined strategy for revenue creation and job generation.
“All we have heard from this government is gobbledygook from the government. We have heard no clear strategy or plan in terms of revenue generation for this economy. We have heard nothing in terms of creating employment for the people of this country, and that is the major concern,” Manning said.
He sharply criticised the government’s decision to scale down or cancel long-standing employment programmes like CEPEP and URP, which he said have served as vital income streams for thousands of vulnerable citizens.
“Running a country is not like running a business, you can’t decide that because your expenses are too high you send people home, because when you create unemployment in CEPEP, URP and the Forestry Division, then those persons, because they are already among the most vulnerable, begin to lean on social services. So one way or the other, government is going to have to pay — and you have created chaos and crisis in this country,” Manning said.
The shadow finance minister also addressed recent reports showing positive returns on the Heritage and Stabilization Fund (HSF), a key national savings fund.
According to Manning, any gains being reported are not the result of current government policy but rather the continuation of frameworks and investments established under the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.
“With the absence of these revenue-generating projects, it puts a lot of strain on the HSF because now they are tempted to access the HSF more often to really support some of their fiscal expenditure, because the revenues aren’t coming from anywhere else,” he said.
Manning warned that without a sound economic blueprint, the country risks deeper financial instability and growing social inequity.
Meanwhile, former Energy and Energy Industries Minister Stuart Young called on the United National Congress (UNC) administration to disclose what energy sector negotiations or initiatives it has undertaken since assuming office following the 2025 general election.
At yesterday’s press conference, Young addressed national energy development and energy security.
He stated that the current successes in the energy sector are the direct result of work done over the last nine and a half years by the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.
“I am happy to say that today what we’re seeing, and will continue to see over the next couple of years, are the benefits and coming home of the work that was done by this administration.”
He further advised caution in relation to developments surrounding the government’s proposed re-opening of the Petrotrin refinery.
“The previous administration went through the proper processes, opened tenders and evaluations, but what we are seeing now is the setting up of a committee in silence and hiding under confidentiality. The procurement and disposal of these state assets, in particular the refinery, must be carefully, carefully looked at.”
The re-opening of the refinery was a Kamla Persad-Bissessar election campaign promise. A committee chaired by former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine has since been established to assess the feasibility and develop a strategy for re-opening the refinery. The committee’s report will inform the Cabinet’s final decision on the refinery’s restart, including potential capital outlay, equity participation, and the choice of partners.
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