PM defends million dollar ‘mercy” grant
By Joel Julien, Published on Aug 20, 2015, 12:14 pm AST, Source
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defended the proposal of a $5,000 mercy grant to the 200 employees affected following a fire at Hearty Foods Supermarket Arima saying never before have so many people been left jobless at one time in such a disaster in this country.
Persad-Bissessar dismissed claims that the grant is a means of trying to buy votes for next month’s general election.
Persad-Bissessar was questioned about the proposed grant following the People’s Partnership’s political meeting held in Arima on Wednesday night.
“I think they deserve it. There have been other fires but not so many persons being affected,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Persad-Bissessar said since taking office in 2010 her detractors have always claimed her acts of kindness have a sinister motive behind them.
“Everything we have done over the past five years they accuse us of trying to buy votes.
“I am in the business of meeting the needs of people and that is what that (the proposed mercy grant) is about.
“It is a gesture of sympathy, we have seen other fires but not so many persons at one time being left jobless,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Persad-Bissessar told of the proposals to assist the affected employees as she addressed the crowd in Arima
“As I am in Arima tonight I want to share my own concerns and sympathies for those 200 who lost their jobs because of the fire that took place,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Cabinet is today expected to discuss the issuance of a “one-off $5,000 grant” to the 200 employees left jobless as a result of an early morning fire at Hearty Foods Supermarket in Tobago on Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar said.
An inter-ministerial committee will also be charged with the responsibility of finding new employment for those affected by the fire, she said.
The crowd applauded and cheered when Persad-Bissessar announced both proposals.
“I am saying that we are a government that cares.
“We will continue to care. You know they ask us many times what separates the opposition from us, this say it is the same old, some people say old khaki pants but you know and I know that there are tremendous differences with the opposition and the People’s Partnership,” she said.
