PM Kamla comforts citizens, promises they won't be ejected or bulldozed

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday distributed 200 Certificates of Comfort (CoC) at the Penal Community Centre to citizens who had been waiting for them since for more than a decade. And she promised that she will hand out more later this month.

She also noted that contrary to the boast of the previous Manning PNM administration of having built 20,000 homes, the reality is that in eight years the PNM built only 7,000.

She also stated that in eight years the PNM administration handed out only 1,000 Certificates of Comfort to citizens under  legislation passed by the Panday UNC administration. She said by contrast the UNC administration gave citizens 4,000 certificates between 1999 and 2000 after passing the relevant legislation in 1998.

In a speech to mark the event she said many of those receiving certificates had applied for them as far back as 2000, noting that it has taken more than a decade to get comfort "to know that your homes will not be broken down."

The Prime Minister said she was "very happy to represent the People’s Partnership...to have this conversation with you because...we intend to ensure equity in the distribution of these valuable lands."

It's the second time since taking office that the Prime Minister has distributed Certificates of Comfort and she said she will be doing again soon in north Trinidad.

She explained that the documents handed out to citizens provides protection from being arbitrarily ejected or removed off State land.

However she said in some instances families will have to move from their present location and resettled if they occupy environmentally sensitive areas or where the land is required for public purpose such as a road.

She assured them that it doesn't mean that "you are going to be bulldozed".

She said the authorities will move them to a more appropriate spot. "When this has to happen, we will work with you to ensure that you are resettled in a humane manner and to a better location. 

"And of course it’s the law if you are asked to relocate you will have to relocate. It is only then if you break the law then you could bulldozed."

She acknowledged that many people face hardship and inconvenience as they search for security and assured everyone that the People's Partnership government is committed to poverty eradication and social justice, with a preference for the poor and the disadvantaged.

"One in five of our citizens lives below the poverty line; it is estimated that one in five our population is also squatting. You can then see the equation of poverty coupled with the need for squatting," she said.

"We are committed to reduce and ultimately eradicate this. Citizens like you are entitled to a sustainable livelihood and the gap between the rich and the poor, have and have–nots must be closed.

"Providing a social safety net for the poor and vulnerable is fundamental to the strategy of development which my government embraces. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this function today, which is a step in the right direction," Persad-Bissessar added.

"We’re keeping this commitment we made since 1998, it took a partnership government to come back into Government to ensure that you and others could get the Certificate of Comfort," she said.

She also spoke of the urgent need for an effective land use management policy and a critical review the present legislation with respect to squatter regularisation –ACT 25 of 1998, in order to speed up the regularisation process.

She said the housing minister and the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) are working with the Attorney General’s department to get this done.

"Our government is committed to providing real housing opportunities and real workable solutions for our citizens. This will be done in a fair and equitable manner," she pledged.

"The Land Settlement Agency will be charged with the responsibility for providing land for the landless for those citizens who wish to build on their own.

The Prime Minister said the LSA expects to regularise 5,000 families within five years.

"My Minister has assured me that the LSA is addressing the backlog in the distribution of Certificate of Comforts and I’ve asked them kindly to look at the cases of over 500 persons in my own constituency.

"They applied to me in 2000 and they did not receive their Certificate of Comforts so I will ask the Minister to look at those who have matters outstanding and to address the application accordingly, so that the process will be dealt with," she promised.