PM Kamla says 5% for police not enough but it's what T&T can afford

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar greets citizens during her walkabout in Port of Spain Friday

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday acknowledged that the five per cent salary increase that the Chief Personnel Officer has offered police does not reflect the full value of their work.

However, she said the government is facing serious financial restraint and that is what the country can afford.

She made the comments after a walkabout along lower Frederick Street in downtown Port of Spain. her normal security details accompanied her along with several uniformed police officers and soldiers.

"I want to emphasise that the offer by the CPO in the labour negotiations is not a total measure of the value placed on the work of the courageous self-sacrificing police men and police women, but at this time, it is a question of what the country can afford," she stated.

Persad-Bissessar also spoke of the threatened action by police who have decided to take Monday off as a day of rest and relaxation to protest the five per cent offer.

She gave the assurance that there is no threat to the nation's security.

"The deployment of all necessary resources available to the State stand ready, willing and able to be deployed in ensuring that the nation is not held to ransom," she said.

The walkabout was the first of a series of what the Prime Minister said will be "confidence patrols" to take place across the country.