Senior Political Reporter
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has warned that no matter what is said in today’s Budget, some citizens who have a poor work ethic, dishonest behaviour, bad habits and negative attitudes will continue to struggle.
In a social media post yesterday, ahead of her Government’s 2027 Budget presentation, Persad-Bissessar slammed citizens who have taken temporary welfare programmes, state contracts, government assistance and employment in government agencies and turned them into permanent schemes for “dishonestly generating personal income.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “There will be better and brighter days ahead for all law-abiding citizens who study diligently, work honestly, make good choices and live productive lives.
“Conversely, no matter what is said in Monday’s budget, some citizens who have a poor work ethic, dishonest behaviour, bad habits and negative attitudes will continue to struggle.”
She added, “As your Prime Minister, I cannot allow the country’s progress to continue to be held back by those who refuse to take personal responsibility to improve themselves despite receiving incentives, contracts, benefits and assistance from the state for years. Some citizens have taken temporary welfare programmes, state contracts, government assistance, and employment in government agencies and turned them into permanent schemes for dishonestly generating personal income.”
The Prime Minister said these schemes are funded “from the taxes of hardworking citizens who go out every day to improve their lives and contribute positively to our success as a society.”
“The country’s revenues should be directed to productive measures for economic growth and the payment of workers who give honest effort at their places of employment.”
She said Trinidad and Tobago, as a nation and a people, have been blessed with much but “we’ve have also wasted much.”
She added, “Law-abiding taxpayers must no longer foot the bills of indisciplined lazy persons who take no personal responsibility, put no effort into productive activities and only seek to receive income through deception, fraud and corruption.”
Persad-Bissessar said her Government has ceased the decades-old practice of governing to simply win the next general election.
“We’re governing to create peace, discipline, wealth and opportunities for seven generations into the future.
“Our society must be rebalanced in favour of the law-abiding, hard-working, honest citizens and away from rewarding laziness, illegality, irresponsibility and negative behaviours.”
