Rowley’s comparison with Haiti – ludicrous and insulting
Responding to Keith Rowley’s comparison between the economy of Trinidad and Tobago and that of Haiti, a Party Spokesman for the UNC said:
“This comparison is ludicrous and insulting to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Why is Rowley talking our nation down?
“His comparison between the economies of Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti is ridiculous, incredible and insulting.
“Over the last seven days he has insulted swing voters and now he has insulted all the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Are there no depths to which this man will stoop? He is unpatriotic and unfit to lead our nation.
“No wonder his former leader, Patrick Manning, described him as an ‘angry man’ and a ‘raging bull’.
“It is absolutely clear that his increasingly hysterical comments reflect the fact he has no policy, no plan, no vision and no ideas to take us forward.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. TT is the wealthiest, most educated, computer literate and developed country in the CARICOM which includes Haiti which has only 22% of its students entering secondary school, literacy rates under 60%, and foreign direct investment averaging under US $180 million annually. By comparison our country has universal, preschool, primary and secondary education complete with free lap tops and over 60% of eligible students receiving state funded tertiary education. The Mitsubishi investment in La Brea alone exceeds US $800 million four times that of Haiti.
2. TT has seen economic decline in 2010 transform to growth and stability in consecutive years. We are now sustaining low, single-digit inflation, down from high double digits in 2010. And there is now irrefutable evidence of a growing energy sector, happening alongside increasingly robust activity and revenues from non-energy industries.
3. A low in Foreign Direct Investment of US$540 million in 2010, has transformed to an average of US$3 billion today, with substantial increases in the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund balance and assured investments by global conglomerates such as BP, Shell and Mitsubishi.
For further information please contact: Rodney Charles, PRO/Campaign Chair
Phone: (868) 322-1766 – email: rod_char@hotmail.com