TTRA bill dies in Senate; MoA with PSA irrelevant

The legislation to set up a Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) died in the Senate Thursday as the upper house met in the final momemts of the 9th Parliament.

The Parliament was dissolved at midnight on the advice of the prime minister, clearing the way for a general electrion that must be held no later than 90 days from the dissolution. The earliest date for the election is May 17.

The opposition had fought against the bill, even enlisting the support of the Public Services Association (PSA), the union that represents the thousands of public service workers affected by the plan to create the new revenue agency.

In a last ditch attempt to save the bill the Government reached a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the PSA that guaranteed job security for all employees but with the collapse of the bill the MOA has become irrelevant.

The six opposition Senators and four independents teamed up to form a united voice against the legislation, as the government made a last ditch attempt to salvage the legislation.

Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira and her Parliamentary colleague, Dr Lenny Saith both spoke of a deal that would guarantee that no one would be out of work with the creation of the TTRA.

But Opposition Senator and PSA vice president Christopher Joefield advised the Senate that the PSA had not signed any agreement, although it did approve of the new terms and conditions of the MoA.

"We took them down to the end to show them that the country is against what they are doing. What we have done is secured the jobs of people in the position. The reality is that the Government has been defeated on the TTRA Bill,” Senate Opposition leader Dr Suruj Rambachan told reporters..

His colleague, Wade Mark called the it a "serious defence of our democratic institutions...We in the Opposition, plus the Independent Senators, have really stood up in defence of the Public Sevice," he told the media.

During the debate Saith told the Senate Thursday the government had signed a landmark agreement with the PSA)

On Wednesday, PSA president Watson Duke accused the government of a betrayal.

"They have totally betrayed our trust," Duke told reporters, adding that the government has "failed to meet and treat the PSA and those who we represent in a meaningful manner."

Read the story: PSA accuses TT gov't of betrayal; protests to continue