A Cabinet reshuffle will not take place at this time, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.
She was responding to questions about a possible reshuffling of ministerial portfolios, as the Government approaches its one-year anniversary in office.
“There is no reshuffle on the cards at this time,” she said, following the sod-turning ceremony for the Hilton Garden Inn hotel, South Park, San Fernando.
Asked how she felt on approaching one year in office, she said: “I think we’ve done a lot. There’s still so much to do…we have many promises to keep…and I’m not shirking from that. I’m looking forward to continue to work for the people of our country.”
She said she would speak more about projects that Government has completed during its first year on Saturday at the United National Congress’ report to the nation at the Couva South Hall.
However, she said she was pleased by the downward trend in crime.
“Crime was something we campaigned heavily on, and we have some achievements, (but) as I say, much more to do. Murder is down by 42%. Serious crime is down by 30%. Crime is down from 600 to whatever it was at the end of last year. And again, this year, so far, from last year to now, that too is down. So, I am very happy about that, but I’m not overjoyed, because I think there’s still much more to do,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said there was not a crime plan, but “an anti-crime plan”.
“The crime plan is in the hands of the criminals, and the anti-crime plan, as I said, state of emergency (SoE) is one part of it. It is not the be all and end all of it,” she said.
Other measures to address crime, she said, included stationing police in schools, bringing in more policemen into the service, and providing the Police Service with more vehicles.
Asked about the reformation of firearms legislation, Persad-Bissessar said work was progressing with the Law Reform Commission.
“I’ve asked for research to be done on what’s happening in other Commonwealth jurisdictions, so that we can get models to follow. Yes, we will reform it,” she said.
