Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Trinidad and Tobago must take responsibility for its post-Independence failures instead of continuing to blame its colonial past.
In her Independence Day message on Sunday, Persad-Bissessar said the country had failed to build on what she described as a strong foundation left by the British in 1962.
“We must confront our post-independence history with honesty and acknowledge that we should have done much better over the past 64 years,” she said.
She noted that Trinidad and Tobago had a higher per-capita income than countries including Japan, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil and China at Independence, but said all had since surpassed the country.
She also pointed to the country’s established oil industry, agricultural sector, railway system, legal structure and low crime rate at the time.
“The fact is that the British left us a very prosperous functioning country in 1962,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said it was now time to accept responsibility for decisions made since Independence.
“After 64 years, it’s time we grow up and stop blaming our problems on our colonial past,” she said.
She called on citizens to put Trinidad and Tobago first and move forward with “conviction and accountability” to create a stronger, safer and more prosperous nation.
