Opposition leader Basdeo Panday has told the government to get off its ego trip and find another way to fulfil its obligations for next year’s two international summits instead of wasting taxpayers’ money.The government is planning spend at least a half a billion dollars to host the Summit of the Americas in April 2009 and the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) later in the year.
Panday expects the final bill to cross the billion-dollar mark and is particularly bothered about what he says is the waste of $100 million dollars to buy 200 luxury VIP vehicles for the conferences.
"This country cannot afford to spend $100 million for ministers, diplomats and their families to drive around in luxury while there is flooding across our country, our roads are deplorable, our hospitals do not have beds and police do not have vehicles to respond to crimes," Panday said in a news release.
The former prime minister said the government has caused an unnecessary burden on the country by committing to the two conferences.
"This government is on an ego-trip. It is spending $1 billion to wine and dine Heads of States. When a country is in a state where its citizens cannot afford to buy food and inflation hits 13.4 per cent speeding to 16 per cent against the backdrop of a global financial meltdown, then that country cannot afford to be wasting money and spending wildly as the PNM is doing now,” Panday said.
"Except for satisfying the ego of the Prime Minister, did the government need to host these two conferences? Did the programme of activities need to be so elaborate to cost $1 billion? Do we not have more pressing things to do with our taxpayers' money? Could this money not have been put to better use or saved for when the energy 'boom' is over – as some people are saying that it is? he asked.
"Spending $100 million for 200 luxury vehicles will have all kinds of detrimental effects on the quality of life of citizens which is already so miserable....It is non-productive and nonessential expenditure!"
The expenditure for the conferences includes major infrastructural works and refurbishing the Trinidad Hilton. In addition the government is chartering cruise ships, which would become floating hotels to compensate for the lack of hotel accommodation in the country.
With specific reference to the expenditure for the cars, Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon told reporters Thursday all of the 200 VIP vehicles “will be absorbed into the Public Service after the events are over.”
This would mean that the Government Ministries could have access to Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Audi or BMW VIP vehicles that normally cost an average of $500,000 to $700,000.
The minister justified the decision by saying, "There is a normal purchase of vehicles by the ministries year in, year out, for each of the ministries and I believe that purchases will be withheld by the ministries so that effectively...all the vehicles which are purchased will be utilised."
She did not say how the ministries would justify the additional expenditure for high end luxury vehicles instead of less costly general purpose ones.
She merely justified the cost of the luxury vehicles by explaining that the Government has "obligations to provide" vehicles for 34 Heads of State attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas next April, including the American president, as well as the 53 Heads of State for the CHOGM in November, 2009.
There has been angry feedback to in the Trinidad and Tobago daily newspapers to what readers call a waste of money.
One person writing to the Trinidad Express had this to say:
"It amazes me that as the WORLD heads into an economic crisis, as the average Trinidadian can't afford bread and milk, that our dear God father of the nation and his follows see it fit to spend this amount of money on VIP CARS!!! Then seek to try and justify their out of control spending by saying that the BMW's and VOLVO's will be used by the PUBLIC sector! Which of of you, the general public, will EVER take a ride in one of those cars? How are they going to full your children's belly?"
Another wrote:
"Give us a break, everybody knows that the PNM is shopping for new vehicles for themselves, what a loophole they have found. FYI - hold the summit in Laventille to show the summit leaders the true efficiencies of this PNM government."
One letter called the expenditure shameful:
"This is an utter disgrace to say that the 200 high priced vehicles will be absorbed in the Public Service...who in the Public Service will be driving around in the half to three quarter million dollar babies...? Ministers..? or the employees...? if Ministers want to drive around in million dollar bullet proof cars, then let them pay for it or "bring down crime" or take their chances like all citizens on the streets...what a waste of taxpayer's monies!"
And yet another:"I hope these vehicles will not go for ministers wives and families as well after they are 'absorbed'."
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