The spiral of decline our Country faces has been most vividly illustrated recently; this time in particular by the Minister of Works & Transport - Colm Imbert who was trotted out by the government to explain away the problem with escalating food prices. Clearly this Minister has no more understanding of inflation than he does Works & Transport.

His comments on inflation of course contradicted the Governor of the Central Bank, who belatedly seems to have grasped its dangers, prompted in large part by continuous IMF reports stating the obvious. 

Imbert’s comments that government construction work influencing the rising costs of living was ‘nonsense’, also contradicted his cabinet colleague Conrad Enil’s recent observation that maybe the government cannot continue on their chosen path, in committing to an ever increasing number of what the Prime Minster mistakenly calls infrastructure projects, which in truth are no more than monuments to a failed system of governance; that is, public service office blocks!

This government has indeed taken us directly on the slippery slope of inflation and high food prices, whether they care to admit it or not. They have done everything in their considerable and over – extended power to destroy agriculture. From the closing of Caroni, right through to grabbing fertile land for Minister Rowley’s housing projects, to the escalation of land prices such that agriculture cannot compete with construction projects. Absolutely nothing has been done to facilitate expansion of agriculture in our Country.

While Manning in his budget presentation simply repeated the mantra of previous budgets that they were going to establish Cuban-type farms in Trinidad to deal with the rising food prices; in truth nobody expects anything to come from any such an initiative.

The Movement for National Development (MND) was encouraged to note Minister Valley’s two penny worth on the subject also, and to learn that the government has gone into ‘an aggressive pro active mode’ on food prices. Our encouragement was short lived when we hear that this means bringing in more food from CARICOM - which incidentally does not have enough capacity to feed itself, let alone us, or from further a field which will be even more expensive than what we are having to pay now!

The next bizarre idea from Government is their consideration of ‘price controls’! The Movement for National Development (MND) wonders whether this government has taken full leave of its senses? Quite apart from the fact that the IMF would regard this as a totally negative step, this idea  takes us right back twenty years, to the era of exchange control and prior to the liberalization of the economy- price controls never worked in the peoples interests then, and they are unlikely to now!

In fact, all they would do is to create shortages, meaning even less food and higher prices for the limited amount of food available! And while all this nonsense talk fills the media, food prices continue to rise unabated, now over 27% and likely to hit 30% by year end!

Is there any end in sight for this critical state of affairs? Answer None.!  As usual –absolutely nothing! While poor people starve, and face ever increasing hardship, our politicians fail us miserably. By Christmas the average family will be facing a bill for their Christmas dinner almost one third higher than last year , and all we get from Government Ministers is ‘words- and words alone’!

The Movement for National Development (MND), therefore suggests the following policies be given careful consideration;

1)      Immediate and swiftly implemented price guarantees for farmers produce-this could be achieved in the short term, without too much bureaucratic meddling.

2)      Introduction of selective subsidies- to encourage people to go into farming- this policy consistent with those adopted in the developed countries with equivalent interest in food security.

3)      Establishment of a ‘green belt’, that is, land reserved only for agricultural purposes, strictly enforced- and consistent with practice in developed countries

4)      Halting of the agricultural land grab by Minister Rowley for housing construction

5)      Immediate implementation of Caroni land distribution

6)      Tax breaks for Companies wishing to invest in agricultural development.