{"id":38116,"date":"2025-01-23T23:02:15","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T04:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=38116"},"modified":"2025-03-10T10:07:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T15:07:24","slug":"kamla-where-the-missing-3b-gone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/kamla-where-the-missing-3b-gone\/","title":{"rendered":"Kamla: Where the missing $3b gone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trinidad and Tobago<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called for an inves\u00adtigation into the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT).<\/p>\n

She said there must be a probe as to why the CBTT refused to allow Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass access to examine the bank\u2019s electronic cheque-clearing system, which was said to be the source of the understatement in some $2.6 billion in national revenue.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the party\u2019s Chaguanas headquarters on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said the Auditor General\u2019s special report still does not account for almost $3 billion.<\/p>\n

She said Finance Minister Colm Imbert used the \u201cfig leaf\u201d of parlia\u00admentary privilege to lambaste the Auditor General because \u201cshe stood for the truth and did the right thing\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said the Auditor General re-audited the accounts, which she had done previously, and the special report still does not address the \u201cmissing\u201d money.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what is the big news? There is no change. The $3 billion is still missing. Where has this money gone?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHas the Central Bank been complicit in cooking the books with this Government? What else is the Central Bank and Government hi\u00adding? Our confidence in the Central Bank has been diminished. I call for an enquiry into the action of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it is you cannot have confidence in your Central Bank, which holds all the money of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, then the country really gone through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She further called for an investigation into the replacement of $100 cotton notes to polymer notes as she pointed out that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had said that some $500 million could not be accounted for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you put us back into office, we will do the enquiries,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar said that under the Rowley Government, only the PNM (People\u2019s National Movement) friends and financiers benefit while the people face the pressure of a higher cost of living from increased fuel to food prices.<\/p>\n

She said that Monday was the last sitting in the parliamentary session and a new session starts this Friday, which places the country in an election year.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

more\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
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\u201cYou better be ready \u2019cause these fellas, they don\u2019t know if they coming or they going. One day Rowley saying, \u2018Don\u2019t bother with Kamla, no election,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Pointing out that Rowley said there are no elections soon while Energy Minister Stuart Young and Youth Development Minister Foster Cummings are telling the people to get ready for the polls, she said: \u201cThey totally confused. You know why? They don\u2019t know if to call it or not to call it because anytime they call it, licks book! Is licks like fire and licks like peas, so they confused.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said Imbert has been \u201ctotally emasculated\u201d by Young, and he (Young) has taken the PNM\u2019s chairmanship position from Imbert, as well as the role of acting Prime Minister when Rowley is away.<\/p>\n

She joked it would not be a surprise if Young delivered the budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaris (al-Rawi), Foster (Cummings) and Penny (Beckles) are hang\u00ading on by a thread waiting on the PNM internals in November,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar predicted that an \u201celection budget\u201d will be deli\u00advered as she warned people to not fall for the PNM\u2019s false promises as the Government has delivered nothing in nine years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are going to come with the same old tricks in this Columbus budget,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they come to this election to buy you out, they try to buy your vote with $300 in a red jersey\u2026let them know $300 can\u2019t make up for nine years of nothing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said over 4,500 people have been murdered as she questioned whether this pittance can make up for the blood spilled.<\/p>\n

She recalled Imbert\u2019s arrogance when he said the people did not riot when he increased fuel prices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image: audit-g8faaf0f23<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trinidad and Tobago Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called for an inves\u00adtigation into the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT). She said there must be a probe as to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":19888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250],"tags":[157,71,137],"class_list":["post-38116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-anti-corruption","tag-procurement","tag-trinidad-and-tobago"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/audit-g8faaf0f23_1280-e1644524531624.jpg?fit=1025%2C678&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-9UM","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":32707,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/kamla-asks-about-paria-contract-renewals\/","url_meta":{"origin":38116,"position":0},"title":"Kamla asks about Paria contract renewals","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"February 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Trinidad and Tobago OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has asked whether any senior officials at Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd had their employment contracts renewed before the Paria Commission of Enquiry (CoE) report was laid in the House of Representatives on January 19. 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