Kamla: Don't blame covid19 for hard times

UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has accused the government of bringing TT's economy to collapse long before the global pandemic.

Speaking at the UNC's virtual meeting on Thursday night, Persad-Bissessar slammed the government for mismanaging the economy by relying heavily on taxes and loans to improve the state of the country.

"For the first time in our nation's history, seven petrochemical plants have been shut down in six months, and don't let them fool people into thinking this is because of covid19.

“Their whole campaign is covid19, but they collapsed this economy long before covid19 came."

Persad-Bissessar also vowed to better diversify the economy by investing more in renewable energy sources.

She said, if given the opportunity, the UNC would move towards promoting health tourism through the Couva Hospital and the San Fernando teaching hospital, citing the Prime Minister's medical check-ups abroad as evidence of the need to improve local health care services.

"Look at Rowley, he contributes to the US medical tourism, because every year he flies out to the US for some medical check-up," Persad-Bissessar quipped.

Contacted for comment Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon slammed Persad-Bissessar's remarks and said she should be reminded of her own role in damaging the economy.

"Kamla needs to be reminded of the state in which she left the economy after having years of energy prices at top dollar and she should be ashamed to make a remark like that."