PP gov't committed to eradication of poverty; 20% of population living poverty line: PM Kamla

The government of Trinidad and Tobago plans to hand letters of comfort to thousands of families over the next few years to clear a backlog of about 5,000 applications that have been made since 1999.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the statement Tuesday at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre, in Central Trinidad, at a ceremony to distribute Certificates of Comfort (COC) to 257 families.

“The Ministry of Housing and the Environment and the LSA (land Settlement Agency) have advised me that they want to regularise some 5,000 families within the next few years,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Persad-Bissessar noted that the COC’s represent the first stage of three stages in the regularisation process. The second is the statutory lease, followed by the final stage, which is a deed of ownership.

She said the government must put in place a land use management policy and initiate a review of relevant laws and regulations to allow it to identify the difficulties involved in the land distribution process and correct whatever problems exist. She also spoke about the problem of poverty in Trinidad and Tobago.

“There are 20 percent of the people of this country living below the poverty line, and at the same time it is estimated that 20 per cent of our population are also squatting,” she said as she reiterated her government's commitment to the eradication of poverty and closing the gap between the rich and the poor.

Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal told the audience the LSA has received 23,300 applications from squatters for regularisation and noted that there are approximately 125,000 applicants for houses.