Track Record of the UNC in Government
SECURE COMMUNITIES
The UNC-led Government upgraded the infrastructure of communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago
- Twenty-four (24) community centres were constructed in the areas of Guayaguayare, Preysal, La Sieva, Waterloo, Gulf View, La Gloria, Hindustan, Marac, North East (Duranta), Sisters Road, Malabar Phase IV, Mango Rose, Upper Malabar, Roystonia, Couva, Jerningham Junction, Talparo, Quarry Drive, Calvary Hill, St Augustine South, Cocorite, Ortoire, Chatham, Carapo, Vessigny
- Thirteen (13) community centres were refurbished and completed: Union, St Madeleine, Bon Air West, Second Caledonia, Tunapuna, Golconda, Carapichima, Patna, Cumana, Cocorite, Boos, Libertville, Guaico/Tamana
- Nineteen (19) community centres were left in progress with percentages completion status as follows: Palo Seco Settlement (94%), Upper Eldorado (93%), Palo Seco/Los Charros (93%), Samaroo Village (90%), North Manzanilla (92%), St. John’s Village (South) (93%), San Fernando North (38%), Mt Hope/ Mt Lambert (85%), Barataria (95%), St Helena (58%), Gasparillo, Santa Cruz (64%), L’Anse Noir (91%), Point Fortin Civic Centre (19%), Ackbar Trace (19%), Bagatelle (31%), Morvant Central (40%), Beetham Gardens (42%), La Savanne (10%), Mohess Road (10%)
- Works were left in progress on seven (7) community centres with percentages completion status as follows: Blanchisseusse (80%), Hermitage (68%), Plum Mitan (20%), Bamboo Settlement #3 (90%), D’Abadie (30%), South Oropouche (70%), Williamsville (85%)
- Indian Trail, Todds Road and Chickland community centres contract documents were being prepared to commence refurbishment of these facilities in 2015
- Refurbishment of Rio Claro Band Stand and upgrade of Town Centre
- Paved more than 90 Local Roads
- Constructed more than 120 Box Drainage Projects
- Constructed 16 Local Bridges
- Constructed Pavilions at Rio Claro, Ortoire and Guayaguayare Recreation Grounds
- Refurbishment works done @ Ecclesville, Guayaguayare, Mafeking, Boos, Navet, Union, Fonrose, Libertville, Mayaro and Newlands Recreation Grounds
- Refurbished Biche Sub Office and Workshop
- Reconstructed Auto Repair Workshop at Rio Claro
- Constructed more than 1200 Curb and Slipper Drainage
- Constructed Fonrose Club Housechil
- Upgraded Burial Sites @ Mafeking, La Savanne, Radix and Fonrose Cemeteries
- Constructed 284 meters of Retaining Wall
- Constructed more than 20 Cylindrical Crossings
- Refurbished Rio Claro Scale House
- Installed Children’s Play Park equipment in Kernaham Village, St. Thomas R.C. Primary, Biche Recreation Ground, Ecclesville, Algo Recreation Ground, Kildeer Recreation Ground, and Guayaguayare
SECURE FAMILIES
The UNC-led Government upgraded the infrastructure of communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago
- We established the Children’s Life Fund to give critically ill children a chance to access life-saving medical care; 88 lives were saved
- 6,714 families benefited from Food Cards
- We established an International Office of Child Rights and the Civil Child Abduction Authority within that Office
- We built the Couva Children’s Hospital, the San Fernando Teaching Hospital, the Carenage Health facility, completed the Hospital in Tobago and started the Arima and Point Fortin Hospitals.
- over 40,000 children benefitted from the annual July/August Vacation Sport Camps in 70 locations in Trinidad and Tobago
- We increased Old Age Pension to $3000 per month
- We provided free public transport to school children and senior citizens
SECURE STREETS
- We brought serious crimes down to the lowest levels in over three decades
- We built several police stations
- In 2014 alone, all serious crimes were reduced by 30-60 percent and murders reduced by 25 percent.
- A National Security Operations Centre; a Rapid Response Unit; and a Counter Human Trafficking Unit were established.
- Dedicated Highway Patrols re-introduced
- The Closed-Circuit Camera Network was expanded by 500 cameras throughout the country
- We introduced the Rapid Bus Transport System on East-West Corridor providing a bus every 15mins
- We passed the Administration of Justice (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Act, No. 5 of 2012, as amended by the Miscellaneous Provisions (Administration of Justice) Act, 2014, to allow DNA evidence to be used in the investigation and prosecution of criminal matters.
- We introduced a new sentencing option through the use of Electronic Monitoring (“EM”) devices.
- We passed the Miscellaneous Provisions (Administration of Justice) Act 2014, to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system
- We widened access to legal aid by the citizenry
- We extended and modified the Forensic Science Centre
- During the period October 01, 2010 to September 30, 2012 the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB) received 309 applications for compensation. Of those 253 cases were approved for payments amounting to 180 Cases were presented before the Board. Payments amounting to $1,982,350
SECURE SCHOOLS AND OUR CHILDREN
- Education was free from age 3 to undergraduate university level
- We provided approximately 95,000 laptops to students
- Over 4,000 laptops to teachers, principals and schools supervisors
- Computer labs were provided in each of our 125 secondary schools and over 337 primary schools in Trinidad
- Every one of our 36,000 children aged 3 and 4 was assured of a place in an ECCE Centres Public, & Private across the country
- T&T achieved the highest academic performance in history in 2014 in all three exams – SEA, CSEC and CAPE
- Implemented universal after school homework and study centres, ‘DialaTeacher’ programme, providing tollfree help in Math and English Language for SEA students and Math, English and Integrated Science for CSEC students at no cost to them or their parents – courtesy the Ministry of Education and TSTT
- Approximately 2,000 scholarships (Open and Additional) awarded to CAPE students from 2010-5
- Expansion of Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) at the secondary level from 42 to 102
- 5200 students participated
- Pilot Testing and Neuro-diagnostics of Children to test for special needs
- Change of date of SEA
- no longer a do or die SEA. 30% of marks awarded through continuous Assessment in Standards 4 & 5
- There was approximately one teacher to every 14 students in primary schools and one to every twelve students in secondary schools, which is superior than the Gold Standard around the world.
- All teacher vacancies were filled
- 93 schools constructed: 28 new primary schools, 57 ECCE centres and 8 secondary schools
- 91 schools were left under construction: 31 primary schools, 52 ECCE centres (26 under IADB Phase II) and 9 secondary schools. Additionally, there were 11 secondary schools administrative and science blocks under construction
- Over 4500 repair and maintenance projects were completed in over 800 Schools throughout T&T from 2010-5, using more than 500 small, medium and large contractors, creating thousands of jobs
- All schools had the full complement of required Deans of discipline. We ensured that Security Officers and Schools Safety Officers have two hand held scanners in every secondary school, along with other security measures suchas CCTV, body scans, etc.
- Launched the first National Student Hotline (free talk) 800-4321 to provide professional counselling to students with confidentiality
- established a Circle of Hope where students have a special session on a weekly basis where they speak with teachers on issues they may have
- We had the full complement of student support services which constitutes guidance counsellors, guidance officers and school social workers, with educational, behavioural and clinical psychologists looking after our students in need as well. This comprises over 700 personnel in all our schools-all 455 primary schools and 125 secondary schools
- We served approximately three million (3,000,000) meals per year, for two hundred (200) days
- Proclamation of the Children’s Authority Act, Chap. 46:10; Children’s Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act, 2000; Children Act, 2012; and Adoption of Children Act, 2000
- Facility upgrades at the St Mary’s Children Home
- Refurbishment of the St Jude Homes for Girl’s
- Completion of repairs outstanding, following a fire at St Michael’s School for Boys
- Refurbishment of the dormitories of St Dominic’s Children’s Home
- The Cipriani College for Labour and Co-operative Studies (CCLCS) launched its Distance Education Programme
- Implemented the RETIRESS ADOLESCENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME (RAPP) a community-oriented programme which seeks to utilize the skills and experience of retired persons to provide assistance and supervision to low school performers and out –of-school adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16.
- For the period June 2010 to present 2,127 persons benefitted from training conducted at the five (5) RAPP centres (Belmont, La Horquetta,Valencia, Couva and Shekinah).
- Established COSTAATT campus in Sangre Grande
- Launched UTT Education Campus in Tobago
- Constructed the University of the West Indies Campus in Debe
SECURE JOBS
- UNC created over 55,000 jobs from 2010-5
- We implemented the Export Centres Company Limited (ECCL) to facilitate an increase in the employment level in Trinidad and Tobago through its Skills Training Programme aimed at the revitalisation of the handicraft industry and artisan development, in approximately twenty-two (22) training programmes in skills such as airbrushing, curtain making, events, fabric design, fashion wear, flower craft, glass engraving, hats and bags, jewellery, leather craft, linen and drapery, natural jewellery, net making, patchwork and quilting, soap and candle making, soft furnishing, sugar craft, textile decoration, upholstery, vine craft and wood craft.
- There were seventeen (17) centres located throughout Trinidad. Four of these centres were located in Terminal Malls along the Priority Bus Route at San Juan, Curepe, Tunapuna and Arima.
- Centres were also located in the areas of Bourg Mulatresse, Bon Air, Diego martin, Fyzabad, La Brea, Laventille, Mausica, Morvant, Maraval, Palo Seco, Piarco, Point Fortin and San Fernando. The centres at the Terminal malls created uniquely affordable marketing opportunities for graduates of the Programme.
- From 2010 to 2015, 4,456 persons benefitted from the programme
- For the period 2010-2013 30 persons started micro businesses, 18 of these persons received certification.
- We implemented the Community Education (Skills Development) Programme, to provide opportunities for people in the communities where they live, harnessing latent talent and skills, to become sources of empowerment and even employment and income generation
- 37,800 persons benefitted
- We implemented the Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme (GAPP), to train unemployed young men and women between the ages of seventeen (17) and twenty-five (25) years to respect to the demand for geriatric care services in our communities.
- For the period July to December 2010, 718 persons benefitted from the programme:
- 123 Caregivers given post-training in Nutrition and Home Management, Nursing Aide Skills, Health Promotion, Life Skills and Electives: Alzheimer’s Dementia Aide; Medication Aide; and Occupational Therapy;
- 20 trainees gained entrance into COSTATT, 10 into the Nursing Academy of Trinidad and Tobago and five were offered employment in Nursing Homes where they completed their field practicum;
- One hundred and eighteen (118) trainees wrote the Level II examination, with eighty five (85) successfully completing and receiving achievement certificates;
- Three hundred and forty five (345) participants wrote Level I examinations: Two hundred and fifty (250) received Achievement Certificates and ninety-five (95), Participation Certificates;
- Level II trainees were placed at twenty-one (21) senior citizens institutions to gain work experience throughout Trinidad;
- For the period January to September 2011 a total of 436 persons benefitted as follows:
- Twenty (20) trainees gained entrance into COSTATT, ten (10) into the Nursing Academy of Trinidad and Tobago and five (5) were offered employment in Nursing Homes where they completed their field practicum;
- Cabinet approval was obtained to increase the number of Caregivers by 200 (bringing the new total to 600 Caregivers); increase Caregivers’ stipend from $1,800.00 to $2,500.00 and increase the GAPP Staffing level by sixteen (16) persons;
- For the period October 2011 – September 2012, 1937 persons benefitted as follows:
- Placement of 587 caregivers in the north, south, east and central regions
- 168 trainees from the St. Joseph, Chaguanas, Ste. Madeleine, Mayaro and Valleyline Centres
- Workshop conducted in Preysal for 600 caregivers
- 582 care givers placed throughout Trinidad
- For the period October 2012 – September 2013, 775 persons benefitted
- 208 persons completed training
- 567 caregivers were placed
- For the period October 2013-September 2014, 3579 Persons Benefitted
- 92 trainees graduated from the Level I cycle
- 3487 Placements
- For the period October 2014 to March 2015
- 90 trainees graduated from the Level II cycle
- We established a modern Labour Market Information System for Trinidad and Tobago known as LAMISTT
- Increased the national minimum wage from $9 to 12.50 then $15 per hour
- The Labour Inspectorate Unit recovered TT$ 1,793,125.00 owing to employees from employers during the period May 2010-September 2013
- 66 out of 75 outstanding collective agreement negotiations from 2010 were settled
- From May 2010 to 2015, the National Employment Services placed over 3,000 persons in both the private and public sectors to facilitate access to sustainable employment opportunities which are made available to job seekers and the placement of vacancies by employers via its on line registration system and its network of offices across Trinidad and Tobago
- Over 5,000 persons were employed under the Commonwealth Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Programme
- We launched the first training programme of the Aviation Institute of Trinidad and Tobago at the NHSL compound in Couva
- For the period July to December 2010, 718 persons benefitted from the programme:
SECURE HOMES
- We built thousands of new homes
- We distributed 5000 lots in 3 years under the Land for the Landless Programme
- We delivered clean water to 70 percent of the population.
- Close to 150,000 people benefitted from refurbished Water Treatment Plants across Trinidad, such as Clarke Road, Moruga, Fyzabad, Toco, Valencia, Mayaro, and North Oropouche
- More than 66,000 persons benefitted from improvements in water supply across Trinidad and Tobago, from the completion of 19 pipeline projects.
- Almost half of all WASA customers received a continuous 24/7 supply of water
- We distributed approximately 7,800 Certificate of Comforts to eligible applicants
- We developed and delivered over 2000 residential lots located on 23 sites throughout Trinidad
- We completed the construction and delivered over 3,400 residential lots for Caroni 1975 Ltd VSEP employees
- 8,855 former employees of Caroni (1975) Limited benefitted from:
- 3,062 Leases to two-acre Agricultural Plots and 3,097 Deeds to Residential Lots
- 1,764 Residential Lots were distributed with a further 1,333 to be distributed
SECURE ECONOMY
- We constructed hundreds of kilometers of new roads and drains for which Dr Rowley labelled us the “box drain” government
- 884 Street Lights installed/upgraded, 128 poles installed
- We illuminated 25 Public Spaces and 12 Parks and Recreation Grounds
- We rehabilitated and upgraded over 100 local community recreational grounds across Trinidad and Tobago
- The Government’s Community Mediation Programmes achieved the following:
Programme | Achievements/Beneficiaries |
Community Mediation Service | 31,669 persons received services.
|
Counselling Sessions | 1,579 sessions
|
Cases Mediated | 1,183 cases
|
Parental Support Groups | 850 persons benefitted Two (2) national seminars held |
Peer Mediation | 273 benefitted.
|
Community Outreach | 11,911 persons benefitted
|
Public Education and Sensitization | 831 persons benefitted
|
Parenting Workshops | 595 persons benefitted |
SECURE NEIGHBORHOODS
- We stabilized the economy and returned to a growth path
- We removed and lowered taxes
- Food Price Inflation Rate was reduced from 13.8% in January 2013 to 3.0% in September 2013
- The Contribution of agriculture to GDP increased by 77% from 2009 to 2013
- Agricultural sector expanded by 5.1% in 2013 from 2014
- 2% reduction in food imports from 2010 to 2013
- Distribution of 580 acres of land for rice cultivation under the Government’s Commercial Large Farms Programme (CLFP)
- 2,302 farmers received financial assistance through the Revised Agricultural Incentive Program to invest in materials, equipment, machinery and modern technology
- Removed VAT on 7,000 food items
- Low Inflation 5.6% and 5% unemployment
- Foreign Direct Investment of over US$2.5 billion in 2012
- Launched the CLICO Investment Fund – 6,000 persons benefited from $10 million in payout and 17,794 people benefited from $132 million payout
- Increased agricultural output and consequent decrease in food inflation from 29% in 2010 to 9% in 2013
- Improvement of Ease of Doing Business, we ranked 66th out of 189 countries in 2015, up from 69th in 2012
- We implemented the Basket of Funding Programme to support civil society initiatives that address poverty alleviation and contribute to the holistic development of communities. The Basket is made up of the following components:
- The Small Grants Programme;
- Project Funding for Poverty Alleviation;
- Partnership Funding;
- Infrastructural Projects for Poverty Alleviation;
- Cooperative Household Interventions; and
- Special Initiatives
- We implemented the Community Enhancement and Regeneration Programme to provide flexible responses to community enhancement and human development, targeting the poor and needy.
- We implemented the Community Volunteer and Apprenticeship Programme (CVAP), designed to enable the CDF to work with community-based organizations in its fight against poverty.
- Approximately 32,282 persons benefitted from CDF programmes
- We increased the lending limit for first time NEDCO borrowers to a ceiling of two hundred and fifty thousand ($250,000); NEDCO clients with a satisfactory repayment and business performance record could access increased levels of funding up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)
- one hundred and eighty one (181) persons participated in the National Integrated Business Incubator Programme (IBIS) Pre-incubation programme in Sangre Grande, Penal, Point-Fortin, Chaguanas, Couva, San Juan/Laventille, Diego Martin
- one hundred and thirty-four (134) candidates completed PreIncubation Training, ninety-one (91) candidates transitioned to the Incubation or Business Phase of IBIS and forty-four (44) received seed capital to assist with financing equipment and business start up.
- We operationalised the Fair Share Programme, created to provide Government procurement opportunities up to $1.5 Million to qualifying micro and small enterprises
- As at January 2015, one thousand four hundred and sixty (1,460) micro and small enterprises were registered on the FairShare portal and there were one thousand and twenty four (1,024) fully certified MSEs in the FairShare programme
- We provided relief to shareholders and depositors of the Hindu Credit Union
- payments being made to 18,113 shareholders with deposits under $75K to a value of $134,998,019.44; 1,253 persons with holidngs over $75K received payments to the value of $94,597,717.63 whilst 1,311 persons were selected to be paid in bonds to the value of $319,393,000.00
